“Which one of you can I punish for creating the Tide-Pod Challenge?”
Gran Torino

 
MESSAGE:
Walt Kowalski is a Korean War vet with very unkind words for the foreigners he fought against. He takes that prejudice home when he threatens to shoot a Hmong teenager for trying to steal his Gran Torino. Walt would later befriend the boy and his family, genuinely understanding the Hmong culture. In the movie’s final moments, Walt confronts a Hmong gang who threaten to hurt the family. Instead of pulling out his gun and leading with his anger, he pulls out a lighter, causing the gang to react violently. They gun him down, but it leads to their immediate arrest. Walt sacrifices himself to keep the Hmong family safe without firing a single bullet.

“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers all offenses.” Proverbs 10:12 

Anger and rage are loud. They demand satisfaction and care little about anything else until they get it. We need anger to warn us when something is wrong or unfair. While that emotion is a great alarm, it can do little to help the problem. It’s like an alarm in a burning house. The loud and obnoxious bell can tell you to act quickly but cannot teach you about fire safety, prevention, and proper first aid.

Only love wants to see the job get done right. It has the care, compassion, and consideration to help others. Love thinks about the future, while hatred thinks about the now. Love wants people won over by its promises of a good life, while hatred demands punishment for trespassers. 

Most assuredly, people are doing awful stuff in this world. They deserve to be vanquished off the land. Hate will understandably feel that, and the conflict it raises would be justified. But consider the love of God, who desires people to leave their evil and return to his care. 

 
Research: Proverbs 10:12, Ezekial 33:11
What are some ways people fight evil in the world?

What does God get from showing love to his enemies instead of hate?

What will your transition from anger (your reaction to evil) to love (your response to evil) look like?