Wrong Is Wrong
To attack an elderly man with a hammer in his home is a heinous sin. To desire to kidnap and attack an elderly woman in her home is equally heinous. To make light of such an attack, to make jokes about it, is also a heinous sin.
If you have not heard, The Speaker of the U. S. House of Representative's husband was attacked in their San Francisco home last week. Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, was confronted by an intruder demanding to know, "Where's Nancy?" The Speaker, assailant David DePape's intended victim, was in Washington D.C. at the time. DePape, deprived of his target, went on to attack Mr. Pelosi with a hammer resulting in the latter receiving a fractured skull in the violent struggle.
The fact of this violence is distressing enough. The fact that our nation cannot universally condemn it is even more deplorable. But the fact that some who claim Christ have joined in making jokes or reveling in this violence is inexcusable.
The fact that Christian leaders are finding it necessary to take up their pens or voices and talk the church through this from a Christian perspective is evidence that, collectively, we are losing a biblical worldview on sin. I'm with R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary on this one. "For one thing, let's just look at the actual fact. If all we know is that an 82 year old man was assaulted in his home by a man with a hammer, well that's actually all we need to know to understand that we're looking at an evil act." The Briefing, Oct 31, 2022.
Why would I talk about a current event like this? Out of all the pressing issues of our day, why be so selective and pick just this one, especially when I rarely deal with headline news? Because the church cannot afford to selectively apply truth. I write about this topic because we stand to lose so much if this is not headed off at the pass in our hearts, homes, and houses of worship. "Truth has stumbled in the public squares" (Is 59:14).
Why talk about only one of a litany of violent crimes? Because people are laughing about this one.
Why not talk about other instances of political violence such as death threats targeting Justices following the overturning of Roe v. Wade? Because our people are not tempted to laugh at that.
The battle for truth of any sort is called into question today. The truth of new stories (especially if they are stories from certain major media outlets versus others), the truth of Sandy Hook, the truth of an election, the truth that there is truth, the truth of whatever. As Christians, we have unwavering Truth, we know the Truth: As Jesus said, "thy word is truth" (John 17:17). Scripture is objective, infallible, unwavering Truth. What's wrong is wrong. Case closed. We, as Christians, cannot ever afford to call darkness light.
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter"
(Isa 5:20)!
Ironically, many will charge those in the Pelosi political camp of doing this: calling wrong right and right wrong while they do likewise. I am convinced that our country broadly, on every side of the political spectrum, is calling wrong right (and certainly not only in California). But, beloved, as Christians, let us not be hypocrites and do likewise. Let us never call what is wrong right.
Please understand that I am not accusing you of making light of this or enjoying it (only you and God know). Please know that I think most Christians would clearly denounce such violence, no matter who the victim was. Blind justice after all, is not first an American value but a biblical one. Please know that I recognize a sinful reaction in myself that must be eradicated and conformed to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire" (Matt 5:21-22). To hate with the mind is to already commit violence worthy of God's judgment.
Speaking of the mind, we must recognize the power of demonizing people made in the image of God and the consequences of such corrupted thinking. When the truth of a human's dignity as one made in the image of God is diminished, the propensity to sin against such a one only increases. For a nation to gas Jews in the holocaust first required the rhetoric of their demonization. The way you think about a person matters. The mind of David DePape swerved from the truth and his feet were swift to shed blood. Note how the Apostle Paul links deception with our violent tendencies.
"Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive."
"The venom of asps is under their lips."
"Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."
"Their feet are swift to shed blood."
(Rom 3:13-15)
To commit violence against a person is to do violence to the image of God. "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image" (Gen 9:6).
Church, we must be willing to call sin sin. We must reject any temptation to do evil here in favor of an unwavering commitment to truth and justice.
"Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good."
(Rom 12:21)
