Last week in Rehoboth Beach at 3am on a Saturday night, a 21-year-old man and 5 teenagers (ages 13-15) verbally and physically assaulted 3 women because, the victims said, the attackers believed they were lesbians. The police showed up and the assailants took off but were apprehended and arrested. The man has been charged and the children released to a parent or guardian. Yesterday, the children were charged with hate crimes. There are so many things wrong with this incident, and the obvious nature of this hateful behavior is clearly at the top of the list. Rehoboth is the kind of place where people of all kinds of people can gather without fear of being mistreated. I hesitate to call it a “LGBTQ” friendly town, even though it is, because it shouldn’t have to have that kind of label. If a community is welcoming to all, people know it. Our church is an Open & Affirming church, a process that took two years so that the community would know that we mean what we say. It is sad that we had to vote about it, but we did. But I digress.
We don’t know the circumstances around this group and why they attacked these women. It isn’t new; we see reports daily about hate crimes. Jews and Muslims being attacked and abused because of their religion. Women afraid to walk down the street for fear of attack. Older people being robbed or worse in public and private places. Nursing home citizens sexually abused by those who are supposed to be their caretakers. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but it is still abhorrent. It often feels like we have become numb to bad people. And when we call them bad, we get chastised for judging them. Please pay attention to this: Jesus never told us not to judge, but rather to be careful of our judgment because we will be judged in the same way. In the case of bad people doing bad things, I will take my chances.
Where evil comes from has been a theological question for as long as people have been pondering the nature of good and evil. I have met people who, regardless of their upbringing or parents, have done bad things from the time they were young. I have also met people who would give Mother Teresa a run for her “kindest person on the planet” award. It seems to me that each one of us is different in this way, just like we are different in every other way, like there’s a spectrum of good to bad that each one of us falls on naturally. Some people follow their parent’s examples – good or bad – while others rebel against them. Some people follow the teachings (the good ones) of their religion while others never step foot in a religious building. We are the sum of our nature and our nurture.
It isn’t too late for any of these 6 to change their lives, and I hope they do. I hope they get counseling and repent and live lives that show the world they have changed. We should not be defined by our worst moments, but by what we become. Anyone can get a do-over, and I hope the families and guardians of these children will take their crimes seriously and get them the help they need. Bad people can change, if they choose to. All they need is the will to change.
Prayer – Holy God, we all have the capabilities to do good or evil. We all need guidance in making the right choices. Help us to pay attention to Your Spirit as She guides us. Amen.
Today’s art is “Repentance” by Federico Winqvist Estrada.