A couple of weeks ago, after a madman sprayed a church with bullets trying to kill as many young, praying children as he could, I tried to reconcile such an evil act with Jesus’ commandment to love one another.
And here I am again, in the face of the very public murder of a devout Christian man, trying to find an ounce of love anywhere in my soul for the horrible human being(s?) who perpetrated this evil act.
And on the side, I find myself stifling anger at the self-described journalists who write headlines about a “MAGA activist” being shot to death, with some suggesting the violence against him is a natural result of his “hate speech.” How do I love people so willing to lie or, to be more charitable, willing to remain so willfully ignorant of the man they are describing?
I only know Charlie Kirk from YouTube videos in which he defended his faith and his political views in conversations with people who disagreed with him. He struck me as a man of deep conviction who challenged his adversaries to “prove me wrong,” as the banner on his tent said. I did not see any hate in this man; I saw plenty of hate in the people he tried to talk with.
Ironically, today is the 24th anniversary of a horrible event that, for a time, united people across this land in a spirit of community. For a time, we saw what we have in common despite our differences. Will this horrible event unite us or further divide us?
I am left copy-and-pasting what I wrote two weeks ago.
How does one reconcile this terrible act with Jesus’ commandment? This evil killer is my neighbor, as well — the bottom line is we are all neighbors on this little speck of dust sojourning through the galaxy at untold speed.
I have literally given my life to Christ, and that means I have set aside the rage and the hatred and committed to approach each one I meet in a spirit of love. And when I struggle with that … the only way I can treat that person with love is through the spirit of Christ in me.
I have been called to love my neighbor, and everyone I meet is a neighbor, and the ultimate solution to what ails us as a species is to consider the intrinsic value of every life we encounter day by day, minute by minute.
Only when we turn from the rage and the hatred will we begin to see hints of the peace on Earth that every rational person seeks.
I can’t remove the evil roaming about this troubled world. All I can control is my own heart, and I choose to love God and to love you.
