Hate and Hope are Four-letter Words

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
 the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

Here is the truth, supported by the statistics and facts.Virtually all recent acts of domestic terrorism in the United States have been perpetrated by white males. White supremacists were responsible for all race-based domestic terrorism in 2018. 100%. This is a troubling reality which should be public knowledge, yet the US Department of Justice and the Attorney General William Barr did not release this info and at the same time removed funding from federal programs to address white supremacist violence. 

Wait, there's more! There is a strong link between white supremacism and misogyny -- the hatred of women. According to statements from authorities and media reports from people who knew the alleged gunmen, the three recent mass shooters in Dayton, Ohio; El Paso, Texas; and Gilroy, California, either explicitly expressed hatred for women or embraced forms of extremism connected to a disdain for them.

Here is the truth. Hatred is a four-letter word, a powerful force in our world, a sinful, destructive force which can't be masked by calling it mental illness. Hate is not a video game, nor is the result of no longer offering the Lord's Prayer in schools. It is the insidious, demonic force which can easily take over the hearts and minds of those who choose to live in the dark worlds of suspicion and contempt. 



Hope is a four-letter word as well, although not the perversion of hope on the tee-shirt of the guy pictured above. All across Texas and in other "open carry states" white men are "shopping" in Walmarts and other public places to assert their hateful message. 

We must pray alongside American brothers and sisters that the evil of white supremacy is challenged by the hope for an inclusive and just world. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ and while the president cannot be trusted to be the spokesperson for hope, there are many others who uphold it.