in the aftermath of Death of Alexei Navalny Last Friday, much of the attention was understandably focused on his attempts to fight corruption in the Russian government and the role Vladimir Putin may have played in his death. nevertheless, Russell Moore As recently explained, Navalny’s later years were equally defined by his Christian faith including his politics and time in prison. And his faith was a major motivator in how he chose to approach persecution at the end of his life at the age of 47.
Mr. Navalny came to faith in the later years of his life. And although he did not elaborate on the process, the general belief is that it happened in the aftermath of Putin’s previous attempt to kill himself in 2020.
He told the court the following year: i am a christianBecause most of our people are atheists, and I myself used to be a very militant atheist. ”
He also explained how his faith gave him clarity and focus in life as his circumstances became increasingly difficult.
as moore conclusion“I believe this was the source of Mr. Navalny’s moral courage, his willingness to isolate himself, his readiness to die.”
And while we may not face imminent death or the possibility of exile to a concentration camp, living our faith well requires standing up against culture when it opposes God. Moral courage is still needed.
But how you take that position is just as important as your willingness to accept it.
“Only hatred is immortal”
in fascinating article, Alan Jacobs recently outlined one of the most important truths for understanding our culture. He wrote that many Americans don’t seem all that interested in data or understanding opposing views. Rather, “What most people want, what they want earnestly and passionately, is hate their enemies”
As he goes on to explain, many of the problems facing our society stem from this fundamental tendency to organize our thoughts around what we hate rather than what we like. The reason is, as Jacobs says, “only hatred is immortal.”
Even if we get better at not taking action over the years (and most of the time we do), people still seem to be wired to hate. That is why hatred has become a virtue, as long as it is directed against the right people and ideas.
Jacobs’ solution is to think, “Can we provide people with joy and satisfaction that exceeds the joy of hatred?”
And really, from a secular perspective, that’s the best option our culture can offer. Human nature always gravitates toward hatred, the most powerful and, in its perverse, righteous emotion.
But Christ calls us to something better.
“Love your enemies”
inside Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'” But I say to you, love your enemies, Pray for those who persecute you. ”Matthew 5:43–44).
Our mission as Christians is to choose the Christ approach over the culturally acceptable path of viewing hatred as a virtue, as long as the hatred is directed at the right people and ideas.
The path of hatred will never lead to peace because peace is not the goal. The goal is to appease your innate desire to be the hero of your own story, which is easier to achieve by dragging others beneath you than by elevating yourself.
And Jesus understood us. Perhaps that is why God, at the end of His command, calls us to “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
As long as God is the standard by which we judge our actions, hatred will never accomplish what culture wants us to do. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped many Christians from trying.
our job is not hate
If we want to return to the salt and light that Christ calls us to be, we need to seriously consider how we approach the culture around us.
The old cliché “hate the sin, love the sinner” has a point, but it still leaves us focused on what we hate rather than who we are called to love. I am tempted.
That doesn’t mean we ignore the sins we see, but our job is not to fix the culture. It’s about helping people meet Jesus. in the end:
Lost people act like lost people, so we shouldn’t expect Christ to change our culture without first changing the people in it.
So where are we focusing today? What do you hate or who are you called to love?
The decision you make will not only affect the quality of your life, but also the quality of your witness.
Choose wisely.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Johannes Simon / Stringer
Publication date: February 23, 2024
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of Christian Headlines.
For more information about the Denison Forum, please visit: www.denisonforum.org.
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