Today’s art is a photo of a woman of color on a train on the 4th of July surrounded by members of the hate group, the Patriot Front. It is always interesting that groups like this give themselves such bold names – like the Moral Majority. It’s as if they protest too much. Someday, we will know this woman’s story and learn her name, but for now, she is more of a symbol than anything else. It is a chilling image that will probably win awards and become iconic, like the little girl running from falling napalm, or the soldier kissing a woman in the middle of a celebration on the street. This woman was probably on her way to work or going to see family; she must have been scared beyond anything I have personally experienced. And yet – she sat there, waiting it out.
The gathering of these fragile incels is another reminder to all of us that hate always bubbles out when the setting is right. They were on their way to rally for white supremacy, believing that their time is now. They are all, from what I can see, young white men. They are all cowards, covering their heads like frat boy Klansmen, afraid to be identified. They probably have good jobs – maybe they are engaged to their college sweetheart – maybe they still live at home and don’t want mommy and daddy to know what they are up to. We don’t know anything about them as individuals, but we do know this – they are afraid. They are weaklings. They are filled with hate. They will reap their reward from God, some day. And they will lose.
They will lose because most humans are good people who, eventually, will no longer put up with hate. I have experienced them for years – many of them have sat in pews of the churches I have served. They disagreed with me about a lot of things, but they were, deep down, good and caring people. Then their daughter married a man with brown skin, or their son got the courage to tell them he was gay. Maybe their best friend’s husband decided to live as God intended him to and transitioned. Maybe the God-fearing politician they sent money to fell from grace. They learned compassion – they developed empathy – and they repented. Or, maybe, they saw this photo and realized that they were on the wrong side of history. It doesn’t matter how we get there, as long as we recognize that hate will lose, and we need to be on the side of love – of goodness – of justice. For our sake – for our kid’s sakes – and for the sake of people on trains surrounded by hate. They need us now, more than ever. For hate to lose, love must speak.
Prayer – Holy God, teach us that love is stronger than hate, but that we also need to express love and stand with each other in love, and call out hate wherever we see it. Amen.