There are some news stories that have come to prominence the past couple weeks which I thought I would quickly share, and give some of my thoughts on them.

#1 - A woman approached a videographer wanting them to film her and her lesbian partner's wedding. The videographer declined, citing religious convictions as their reason for doing so. "Shocked" by the videographer's response, she rallied a host of individuals to her side in order to inundate the local Chamber of Commerce, and Facebook, with an overwhelming number of negative reviews of the videographer's business. This issue quickly rose in prominence as the local municipality took notice, followed by the media who brought it to the national stage.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/16/living/same-sex-wedding-videographer-feat-irpt/

#2 - Azealia Banks, an African American rap star, again spewed venom and hatred for whites. In the recent past, Ms. Banks has advocated the killing of whites though methods such as witchcraft. This week, however, she reiterated her hatred for "fat white Americans" and "racist conservative white people" as she denounces the United States as a whole.
http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/12/azealia-banks-wants-to-kill-white-people-with-her-inborn-witch-powers/
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/03/17/rapper-reveals-why-she-hates-fat-white-americans-and-delivers-a-message-about-racist-conservative-white-people-in-middle-america/

#3 - Former Vice President Al Gore declared we need to "punish climate-change deniers," while highlighting political opponents as targets in particular. Mr. Gore stopped short of saying what kind of punishment would be appropriate for such offenses, however, I'm certain any punishment would be just as reasonable as wanting to punish people for belief crimes.
http://ecowatch.com/2015/03/16/al-gore-sxsw-punish-climate-deniers/

America, what are we doing? And more importantly, where are we going?

Regardless of our thoughts and beliefs on these issues, my point in bringing them to people's attention is not to correct each one according to my Christian beliefs. No, my point is to highlight something many of us don't seem to understand. That being, when we lash out at others for perceived injustices, or try to punish those who don't believe as we do, then we do so at our peril.

It's a disturbing trend, but there are those of us have come to believe that vigilante justice is a proper way of dealing with almost anything. When some people perceive an injustice, they feel justified in punishing the perpetrators for their 'crimes,' even if the punishment is wildly disproportionate in scope. Some believe if people don't agree with their views, then they should be made to agree. Force them, at whatever cost -- threaten them, ruin their reputation, destroy their lives, tear them apart in whatever way possible, and if they don't comply, punish them some more. It's okay, after all, they deserve it, right?

Unfortunately, many of us aren't seeing where this road leads, and it isn't a good place to say the least. Vigilante justice may bring temporary feelings of satisfaction, but in the long run, it only serves to deepen the divide, and perpetuate the cycle of abuse. This is a lesson all of us should have learned in elementary school: retaliation brings more retaliation. If we push someone down on the playground, it isn't long until we get pushed back. Cut in line in the cafeteria, it isn't long until someone cuts in front of us. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. If someone does it to us, we do it right back to them, and in greater severity so they remember the day. And so goes the cycle, but what good really comes from it?

This is the cycle many are toying with today. They try to force others to comply with their demands or make them suffer their wrath. However, unbeknownst to them, they are making things harder for themselves. They are creating new enemies, new threats, and fostering deeper disdain for whatever cause they are championing. Before long, all genuine communication is severed, and each side becomes galvanized against the other. This is where myths begin to abound and assumptions run rampant keeping everyone separated in their own corner.

For those of us who are spiritually minded, this is a spiritual law as well as a natural one. As the Bible says, God is not mocked, we reap what we sow. (Galatians 6:7) And if what we are sowing is hammer blows to the heads of our perceived opponents, then we have a sledge hammer coming our way in the near future. Jab begets jab, strike begets strike, blow begets blow -- it is the nature of creation.

This is why Jesus taught us "blessed are the peacemakers" and that, "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." (Matthew 5:9 KJV, Matthew 5:39 KJV) Why? Because it's the peacemakers who break these cycles. It's the peacemakers who mend the rifts, and keep society from boiling over, out of control.

Make no mistake, wrongs do happen, and they do need to be set right. Justice is a good thing when done correctly, however, vigilante justice doesn't work. Vigilante justice only serves to bring a greater divide between people, and this hurts all of us.

Without peace we all suffer, and for every bit of division we add, we suffer all the more. But when we refuse to exact revenge, we are no longer adding to the divide, and we are no longer heaping further harm upon ourselves. It doesn't matter what race, religion, or gender we are, nor does it matter what our political affiliation or sexual orientation is, this is an inescapable truth of the world we live in, and for better or for worse, these things have an effect on the direction and the quality of all of our lives.

If we want life to be better, which is what I believe 99.9% of us want, then we need to be peacemakers, and stop jabbing at the other side. We need to start practicing the fruit of the Spirit, even if we aren't spiritually fruitful, because goodness, kindness, gentleness and self-control go a long way towards fostering peace. (Galatians 5:22-23) All of us know this to be true.

We can disagree without hating each other, we can disagree without disparaging one another, and we can disagree without trying to harm one another. And when someone tries to turn us against one another, or strikes out at others in a wave of vigilante justice, we can send them back out the door, and back into whatever hole they crawled out of. But we have to actively make the choice to do so.

If you liked this message, then I'd like to ask you to please consider contributing to the work God has called me to do by giving a financial gift. Your support is vital in helping the message of "Freedom in Christ" go forth, bringing liberty to all. (Galatians 5:1) The Lord has made us to lean upon one another, and in doing so, together we are strengthened. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) So take all that I have freely offered, but then, consider giving back, as this is what the Lord would have us do. Click the "Gifts" link at the top of this page to find out how you can help.

May God bless you richly!

Mark Moyers