Romans 12:9&12 Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Do not repay evil for evil; consider what is good before all people.
In our family devotional last week, we talked about how children can be overwhelmed by storms of temptation. Kids can feel pulled to go along with the crowd by thinking, “everyone else is doing that, why don’t I?” Indeed, that is what many adults are thinking. They are participating in gossip, lies, and slander without realizing it is sin. When the media slandered teenagers from the Covington Catholic school visiting DC, people gladly shared the lies on social media. When a person or a group is falsely labeled racist, it gets repeated. When people lie about a political opponent or anyone with a different view, those lies are echoed.
The amount of confirmed lies that media giants and big tech tyrants have promoted in the last 10 years is astounding. The great tragedy is that CHRISTIANS, even church leaders, have often joined the mob in echoing the hate and lies. That is shameful! In Sunday school children learn this simple truth: don’t listen to lies and don’t repeat things you do not know to be true. Even if the information sounds credible, don’t get caught in the trap of spreading slander and lies.
The world calls evil good and good evil. We must discern the difference. Voicing disagreement with a leader’s policies or behavior in a respectful manner is good. Following the hateful, slanderous ways of the world is sinful, dangerous and evil. No Christian should join the mob in calling for the destruction of another person’s life – especially when relying on the witness of journalists who have proven themselves false. The Church must return to being an example of righteous judgement, grace, seeking the truth, and rejecting hate. Abhor evil, cling to what is good. May those simple words become a guiding light to us all.