Reactions to an American Tragedy: Sermon Matthew 5:38-48

Dear God, take our minds and think through them; take our hands and feet and work through them; take our lips and speak through them, take our hearts and set them on fire for you. Amen

This is not the sermon I had planned to give. This is not the Scripture reading that I had planed to preach from this morning. However, things have changed. Things have changed less than a week ago the biggest worry on the campus of Virginia Tech was the impending final exams and everyone was looking forward to a long summer break. There might have been beach trips planned, summer internships to work at, or just plans for a long, lazy summer just hanging out. Things have changed. Things changed because Monday morning a young man with a sick heart and disturbed mind decided that today was the day he would commit the most heinous school shooting in American history. By Monday afternoon it was all over, but things had already changed and nothing would remain the same.

The tragic events on the campus of VT have left the country reeling because one place that we thought was safe; the place that millions of young people go every day was school. I was particularly struck because I am on a major college campus three times a week and because I have a friend from HS who attends medical school at VT. I don’t know if any of you know any persons at VT or not, but nonetheless we are all saddened and heartbroken by these events. We need to hear a word from God this morning. We come needing to be fed by God’s holy bread. I struggled with what to preach about this morning. My first thought was to talk about forgiveness for Seung-Hui Cho, but as I thought about it I realize it might be too early to talk about forgiveness, even though as Christians we must eventually talk about forgiveness.

Instead I want to talk about what our reactions should be in the face of such a crisis. Of course it is easy for us to talk about what we should do because we were not directly involved with this tragedy. However, it is important to speak about because it could happen here, it could be our family members next. Our first reaction once we get past the initial grief and shock is to demand revenge. We are still, in a lot of ways, an “eye for and eye and tooth for a tooth” society. We want to retaliate to those who have harmed us, we want to lash out and take from the guilty what has been taken from us. If you take something from me then I am going to take it back from you. If you hurt me then I am going to hurt you back. This doesn’t sound unfair, it sounds just, and it sounds right and fair. If someone acts against us then we retaliate with a counteraction. Our justice system is based somewhat on this system. Although there are some attempts at rehabilitation for the most part it is you do the crime you do the time. Those in prison must pay back their debt to society and some who have committed the most heinous of crimes must pay the ultimate price of their very lives. It sounds just, it sounds fair.

This was the mentality of the judicial and societal systems of Jesus’ time. Eye for and eye and tooth for a tooth was not only a political statement it was biblical, Exodus 21:23-25 to be specific. This was something that was understood by all people and was followed by most. Then this Jesus fellow gets in the way. Jesus, during his famous Sermon on the Mount, begins to preach a revolutionary idea. Instead of retaliation there is a turning of the other cheek, instead of striking back Jesus purposes that one should simply stand there and take it. This is an extraordinary idea, to turn the other cheek to respond with non-violence. Then Jesus goes further, if someone sues you for the very shirt off of your back, we don’t know anything about people suing to much do we, if they ask for the shirt from your back then give them you coat as well. If someone asks for your wallet then give them your watch as well. This idea is as radical in our society as it was in the time of Jesus. There is a name for it, it is called grace and it is the hardest teaching in the Bible. This is the hardest part about being a Christian.

What do the words of Jesus mean for us after the events of Monday? I think the Message version of the Bible says it best, “Let them [your enemies, the ones who do you wrong] bring out the best in you, not the worst.” I remember when I let a tragic event bring of the worst in me. It was after 9/11 and I was so filled with hurt and with anger that I said about all Muslims “Kill’em all and let God sort them out.” That was not Brad talking but my anger speaking instead. And although I am ashamed of those words I have learned from them. I learn that hate and retaliation solves nothing. I cannot help but to see the similarities between the heartbreak at VT and a similar incident in the Amish community only few months ago. A man walked into a schoolhouse and murdered 5 little girls and injured 5 more. I remember how it ripped that little community down to its very core and how it shook the nation. If it can happen to these humble people who have separated themselves from mainstream society then it could happen to anyone at anytime. Anytime young people are caught in the cold, icy grip of violence it chills us to the bone. This was not a unique incident, it has happened too many times, even in our own community 11 years ago at Richland High School. The unique aspect of this story was the reaction of the Amish. A leader of the community Jack Meyer said "I don't think there's anybody here that wants to do anything but forgive and not only reach out to those who have suffered a loss in that way but to reach out to the family of the man who committed these acts." The Amish community has gone as far as to set up a charitable fund for the family of the shooter and some of the fathers of the victims have offered help the shooters family. This amazing act of forgiveness and reconciliation almost shocked us as much as the news of the shooting itself. The Amish knew that hate cannot defeat hate, violence cannot defeat violence. Hate and violence are like a fire raging out of control and retaliating with violence and hatred is like throwing gasoline on the flames. It only causes the fire to burn hotter. The Amish did what we must, what the victims and the families of Virginia Tech must do, what our country and yes even the world must to in the face of such reckless hatred. We must do what Jesus taught, to respond to violence with peace, respond to hatred with love, respond to anger with kindness, and respond to evil with good. In the words of R&B singer Marvin Gaye “only love can conquer hate”.

This sentiment is not limited to national tragedies but for our everyday lives. How many times are we cut-off on the highways and byways? How many times are we short changed and done wrong? On the road, in the store, on the sidewalks, in the restaurants we must react to anger and violence with love and goodness.

The country might not be ready to forgive this young man for what he did Monday morning. I might be too soon to talk about it, especially for the families and there is nothing wrong with that. However, Jesus teaches us that we must always be moving toward forgiveness. We must always be moving toward love and away from retaliation because we are set apart as Christians. We are children of God, subjects in the Kingdom of God and the world looks to us for a reaction when tragedies occur. We have to reach out in love to those who are in need of it. We have to reach out in love to those who shut themselves in. The young man who committed these terrible crimes had been knocked down so many times. Please understand that I am in NO way condoning his actions. However, if someone had just reach out to him in love, had been willing to see the signs of a trouble soul and taken action this tragedy might have been avoided. We must not retaliate when we are wronged. It is the hardest thing in the world to do, it is something that I personally struggle with, but has we move closer to God we have to become more mature in our faith. Jesus said to “Grow Up. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

Violence and hatred, anger and evil are circles. They cycle around and one act of violence perpetuates another. If we don’t make a change, if we don’t respond with love then the cycle of violence will continue and we will have more events like the one at VT. We must also remember that there are places where this kind of violence is commonplace. Places like Darfur, Iraq, Afghanistan and countless others. We, as Christians, as the Body of Christ must work to remedy these problems. We call our leaders and demand action in Darfur; we must reach out to those who might be hurting all over the world. One thing that is very powerful is prayer. I the Message Bible Jesus says “When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, ⁴⁵for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. We work in our God-created selves, our reborn selves, our Christ-centered selves when we pray. So when you feel a little steamed say a prayer, when you are frustrated lift it up to God, and respond to the world with love instead of hate. And let us hope and pray that the events of Monday will not repeat themselves.

Let us pray…

Grant, O Lord,

that what has been said with our lips we may believe in our hearts,

and that what we believe in our hearts we may practice in our lives;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.