Faithfully Yours - We've taken step one - now what?
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- Published on Saturday, June 27, 2015
By Neil Strohschein
As I write these words, the media frenzy concerning the brutal murder of nine members of a Charleston, South Carolina church is beginning to subside. But the question remains: “How could a 21 year old man become so filled with hate that he would do what he now stands accused of, and has allegedly confessed to doing?”
My heart goes out to the victims’ families. Those who died that night were loving and caring people who had come together to pray for their church and community. They did not deserve to die such a horrible death. But they did—and now their families are left to grieve and find ways to heal.
My heart also goes out to the parents of the young man accused of this crime. I can’t even begin to imagine how they must be feeling right now. I highly doubt that they share the extreme views attributed to their son. But there will be some in the United States who will blame the parents for what their son became—and these parents will become victims of this tragedy as well.
The Charleston shootings (and other similar acts) make us wonder if there is any hope that the people of earth can eliminate the prejudice, racism and hate that spawns these criminal acts.
A Roman Catholic bishop from a small Central American country was recently asked if he had any hope that his country could overcome the social, political and economic challenges it faces. His answer—“I am not a person of hope. I am a person of faith. I believe in God and in his ability to bring us through our crisis times.” I could not agree more.
In recent years, we have made some progress in dealing with similar issues in Canada. Major church denominations have issued apologies and offered reparations to those who suffered harm and indignity in residential schools. So has the Canadian government. Under the leadership of Justice Brian Sinclair, Canada established a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, giving these victims the opportunity to share their stories, hear responses and lay a base for reconciliation.
It’s taken years of activism, lobbying and law suits to get us to this point in our journey to health and wholeness. But we have only taken step one on a path that will, by God’s grace and with his help end prejudice, racism and hate once and for all.
So where do we go from here? Governments and religious leaders can only do so much. The biggest part of reconciliation is up to you and me. No laws, no matter how strict they may be, will end racism, prejudice and hate. The law can identify those who commit hate crimes and can ensure that they are punished appropriately. But the law has no power to eliminate the attitudes that produce racist comments and that result in hate crimes.
There is, however, one power that is strong enough to eliminate hate—and that is the power of love. But not just any love. The love of which I speak is a gift from God. It is given to those who ask for it. And when fully active in us, that love gives us the ability to see everyone we meet as a person created in God’s image and as such. a person of great value with unlimited potential and worthy of dignity and respect—and to treat them accordingly. I hope and pray that this love will be seen in me and in all who read these words.
