Where Do We Go From Here?
Like many of you, I was horrified by the scene I saw play out on the steps of our nation’s capitol. As violent rioters breeched the walls and halls of the capitol I kept thinking; where do we go from here?
That’s the question many of us are asking; and as I’ve prayed and pondered the state of our nation I’ve concluded our problem is more spiritual than political. You can’t simply cure a sin-sick nation by changing its laws or its leaders. You cure a sin-sick nation by changing its heart.
One of the capitol policemen said something about the rioters that gave me insight into our problem. He said, “When I looked at their faces I saw hate in their eyes.”
Hate. There’s the core of our problem. These days, instead of simply disagreeing with one another; we’ve chosen to hate one another.
When you look at the problems plaguing our nation you can’t help but see the ugly face of hate. We’ve seen the ugly face of hate as we’ve dealt with our racial divide. We’ve seen the ugly face of hate from those who support police and from those who oppose them. We’ve seen the ugly face of hate from those who have little and from those who have much. And even when it comes to solving our national pandemic, angry words of hate have done more to prevent our cure than to enable it. Whether you’re watching cable news, reading a Grainger Today editorial or scrolling through Facebook, you can’t avoid the preponderance of hateful words and hateful images.
1 John 2:11 states, Anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
Could that not be said of many Americans today? They do not know where they are going or what they are doing because hate has blinded them. Hate has blinded them to the suffering of others. Hate has blinded them to the rule of law. Hate has blinded them to the value of those with whom they disagree; and hate has blinded them to the condemning consequences of a nation divided. When your heart is filled with hate, the wisdom you think you so amply possess is nothing short of blinding darkness.
In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. uttered these words in a sermon. Through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can’t murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate through violence. Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that and hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
So where do we go from here? How do we dispel the darkness of hate that cripples our nation? We combat hate with the unmerited, selfless love revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
While the rule of law is extremely important, the rule of law can’t cure the heart of a sin-sick nation. Only love can do that. While law cannot cool the passions violent men – love can. While law cannot bring fighting political parties together – love can. While law cannot erase racism or insure equal rights - love can. While law cannot bridge the gap between police and the public – love can. While law cannot make you abide by coronavirus protocols – love can. While law cannot fill the stomachs of the poor – love can. While law cannot prevent hate-filled tirades on social media – love can. And while law, even at its best, cannot unify a nation that’s divided – love can, and only love can.
