When the television cameras arrive people begin to act much worse and take upon themselves an air of strength. I watched sometime back as “students” attack a building because they did not like the speaker the university was bringing in. Why wearing a mask and throwing a brick or something similar through a glass window proves how strong you are, is a mystery to me. Parents of said university will see an increase in fees of one kind or another to pay for the damage done. The number of thugs engaged in such an operation in no way reflects all the young men and women going to the university. I bring this up to say, that what we see on television cannot be an accurate view of what goes on in this country.
As Christians our task is not to change our message in order to get people to like us. They put Jesus to death, not because of some good thing He did but because of what He taught. He affirmed to a disbelieving world that He was God and that no one could get to God the Father except through Him (John 1:1;14; 14:6). He was emphatic that no one could affirm that He was the Lord unless they were willing to do what He said (Luke 6:46). He used the law given on Mount Sinai to prevent a woman from being stoned to death (John 8:1-11). He told a rich man he would have to change his view on life, and He lost that young man because of what He said to him (Matt. 19:16-22). Almost the entire chapter of Matthew 23, Jesus spent calling religious leaders, hypocrites.
We can do so much to help our own hearts if we take the time to see the barriers between Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles. Jesus came to open the prison where men could come to the light and start thinking different about themselves, their fellow man and their ultimate destiny. In these difficult times we can offer to men, Jesus the Christ, the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). We can offer if we have the opportunity to teach, a way to live. Tell the world, what has hate ever done for a people, a city or a nation. We offer reconciliation with God (2 Cor. 5:17-19).