I appreciate many of the posts by Nick Freitas on social media. He is a delegate in the Virginia state legislature, Christian, devout and succinct. After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Freitas tweeted his strong and passionate – and yes, quietly angry – thoughts and reactions. In essence, Freitas made the claim that for years he had attributed the name calling and personal attacks from the left as “simply hyperbolic rhetoric done for effect.” He went on to say that view changed with the murder of Charlie Kirk and the celebrations that ensued. Now, instead of seeing the argument as healthy, though obnoxious, disagreement, he understands that the confrontation is “a war between diametrically opposed worldviews which cannot peacefully coexist with one another.” Freitas goes on to declare, “My Christian faith requires me to love my enemies and pray for those who curse me. It does not require me to stand idly by in the midst of the savagery and barbarism.”
Freitas’ outrage, and his changing perceptions mirror my own. Opposition presented with civility and an honest desire to find a meeting place, even if that meeting place is an agreement to disagree, is healthy, wholesome. I’ve engaged in that kind of discourse with others as a result of my blogs and in my everyday life. I’ve listened, considered, appreciated, and in some cases been changed by those types of exchanges. But there’s another kind of discourse: a bullet from the back, an anonymous email filled with hate and name calling, a sucker punch that excludes the ability for reply. These constitute the savagery and barbarism that Freitas is decrying and that diminish us all by preventing growth and change on either side. Their goal is to hurt and to silence, not to communicate and listen.
And this is where I am today. Hovering between righteous anger and the serenity of forgiveness and trying hard to embrace them both in an effort to honor God and stand for what is right. I am acutely hurting from hateful acts and words and for those who deal them out. I will continue to pray for wisdom and understanding to be an instrument of peace while knowing as well that I am called to be a strong and courageous warrior in the face of evil acts and evil ideology.
