I am returning to a topic that I have addressed before.
I have been deeply saddened by the murder of Charlie Kirk. He was a great man. I am satisfied that he was spending his life doing God’s work. I am satisfied that he spent his life doing God’s work.
He was killed by a lesser man. The killer believed that he was silencing a fascist. He believed that he was performing a noble act. My first observation is that the killer was wrong on both counts. He did not silence Charlie, he amplified him. Going further, Charlie was not a fascist. I doubt that the killer could even define the word. But, the killer believed that Charlie was a fascist. And that was all it took. He believed that Charlie was a fascist because he had been told that Charlie was a fascist. Charlie was a pretty big deal. But, he was not big enough to be on the radar of the politicians and talking heads who casually throw the term fascist around. The killer thought that Charlie was a fascist because the people in his local social circle told him so. They, too, were wrong; but the killer believed them. And there is the problem. A group of people hate someone because he disagrees with them. They attach a hateful, untrue epithet to the guy they hate and then they spread the hate among their friends. A weak man, like the killer, absorbs the hate and then acts on it.
I am sure that the killer’s local social circle did not consider the low level hate that they were spreading to be important. But, it contributed to a murder. They were complicit. This problem is worse on the left than on the right….but it crosses the aisle. Donald Trump and Maxine Waters do it regularly.
Here’s the thing. There is no such thing as little, unimportant hate. Hate is like cancer. A cancer cell that is so small that your doctor cannot find it will grow into something that will kill you or someone you love.
There are way too many haters out there.
Are you one of them?
I know a lot of otherwise fine people who casually throw around hateful terms like fascist, Nazi, and Newscum. This low level hate is a cancer growing in our culture. Our leaders use hateful language in a crass attempt to increase their political power. And we believe them…….just like the killer believed his friends. So, we spread the hate. And one day, some weak man believes us and acts on it.
And we are complicit.
Were you outraged by the assassination attempt on Trump but silent about the assassination attempt on Gabby Giffords?
If so, you don’t hate the hate…….you hate the politician.
Were you silent when Letitia James was charged with mortgage fraud but happy when Donald Trump was charged with he same crime?
If so, you don’t hate the hate. You hate the politician.
By your low level hate, you fuel the fire. If you indulge in low level, conversational level, hate…….you are complicit. If you indulge in low level, conversational level, hate, you are a cancer cell trying to grow in our culture.
This is not what Christianity teaches.
Christianity teaches love.
Even harder…….it teaches us to love our enemies. It even teaches us to love the guy who killed Charlie. Not many of us can live up to that level of love. But, that is exactly what God does. That is exactly what God expects from us.
Not many of us are willing to let go of our hate.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus, on how we should love, Matthew 5: 43-48, ESV