September 20, 2017

“Because of my political views, which are arguably religious, it will be impossible for me to trust two attorneys that are my political and biological enemies.” – Dylann Roof

There was a story yesterday that popped up on my news feed about Dylann Roof, the white supremacist and domestic terrorist who killed nine people in a Charleston, SC, church just over two years ago. He is apparently unhappy with his two court-appointed lawyers, one of which is Jewish and one of which is Indian, and wants them removed from his case.

His hatred for non-whites runs so deep that he is repulsed at the idea of having to come under any sort of influence or contact with those he deems inferior.

Years ago I was watching an episode of “The Jeffersons,” and George mistakenly got involved with a group of white supremacists (he interpreted their talk of “cleaning up the building” to be something quite different). During the meeting, the leader had a heart attack and George was the only one who knew CPR and he saved this man's life. As he was being loaded into the ambulance, the son tells the dad it was George who saved him. “You should have let me die.”

Hatred for those not like us can run deep. And that hatred is real; not just some scripted scene playing out on a sitcom, as witnessed by the actions of Dylann Roof and others.

We are living in conflicted times when those who hold opinions and beliefs like Dylann, and those who teach and recruit others into that belief system are no longer hiding in the shadows. They are comfortable enough to come out into the open speaking out against the presence and existence of those not like them. This is bad news.

But the good news is that these people are now visible. The hatred with which these people are driven is now exposed to the world. We have the opportunity to stand up against that hatred. We have the opportunity to be counted as those who stand opposed to hatred, not only the hatred espoused by Dylann and other white supremacists, but the hatred of those opposing them.

We not only have the opportunity to do this, we have a moral, ethical, and theological obligation to stand up and speak out against hatred. We must not be silent. And we must not return violence with violence.

The hatred of Dylann Roof and those of his ilk runs deep; and that is very bad news.

Love runs deeper; and that is very good news.

Blessings,