Some of you may have heard in the news that a few weeks ago, someone put up flyers on Latino-owned businesses in Hampton, flyers that expressed the hateful sentiment that illegal immigrants should be hunted like animals.  The man who did was caught and being charged with putting up these flyers.

But what is a Christian response to hate-crimes?

One way of course is through educating and listening, as I think often hate crimes are committed out of ignorance for the victim, and/or feelings of frustration and feeling unheard by the perpetrator.

But I also want to name two particular things that might be part of a Christian response to such acts.

1) Pray for the perpetrator – We want to judge the action, not the person, as we don’t know what is going on in their mind and heart.  And while it’s tempting to respond to hate with hate, in his famous Sermon on the Mount the, Lord tells us something else. “I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you…If you only love those who love you, what recompense is that for you?” (Matthew 5:43-44, 46).  Furthermore, St. Paul says something similar in his letter to the Romans.  “Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them….Do not repay evil for evil….‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.  Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.”  (see Romans 12:14, 17, 19, 20-21)

2) Reparation – This brings me to the third aspect of a Christian response, to make “reparation.”  In other words, to share in the work to “repair” damage done by an evil, sinful, or hateful act.  We do this by making up for what is lacking in the action of others, or by acting in the opposite of the evil done (conquering evil with good).  So, for example, if someone dishonors the Lord, we ourselves make “reparation” by honoring, praising, and adoring the Lord all the more.  If someone does something hateful to a neighbor, we make reparation by doing extra acts of charity, going out of our way, above and beyond to show charity to our neighbors.  If someone inflicts suffering on another, not only do we work to relieve that suffering, but we can take on small acts of voluntary sufferings ourselves as prayer and solidarity with the sufferer and prayer for conversion of the inflictor. (i.e. “fasting” is giving up of food for a prayerful purpose. We can also give up some other small good or make a small personal sacrifice, that we can prayerfully offer up on another’s behalf).  In other words, we make “reparation” through prayer, almsgiving (acts of charity), and fasting.  While we particularly emphasize these during Lent (especially the “Fasting”/penance part), we are to incorporate them into our Christian life throughout the year, not just during the season of Lent.

Peace,

-Fr. Kevin

PS: A reminder that there will be no daily Mass on Mon. Sept. 2 or Tues. Sept. 3 as Fr. Kevin will be traveling back from Denver.