When “Abide No Hatred” Is Torn Asunder By Hatred. Fear Not! Love Will Win.

My friend and colleague in ministry, Laura Norvell, had a cool flag that she and her husband Matt displayed from their house outside of Baltimore, MD. The sign, with rainbow-like colors in the background, said, “Abide No Hatred.” I thought it was a cool sign, and thought it would be great for our church, La Mesa Presbyterian Church, in New Mexico. 

Here’s a link to the church website: https://www.lamesapresabq.org

So a member of the church bought the flag, and other friends of the church created a sign post for it. We posted the flag on the corner lot of the property, in a prominent cross road area. You couldn’t miss the sign. One neighbor drove by when we were putting up the sign and honked her approval, and stopped, rolled down the window of her car, and said, “That’s an awesome message! Thank you!” 

This was on Oct. 8, 2023. On Nov. 16, 2023, the rainbow sign had been stolen, torn off from the sign post, and replaced with the lettering, in blue spray paint, of “Rom.1:18-32,” a well-known clobber verse in the LGBTQIA2S+ community. In essence, it is all about men not being allowed to “lie with men” as they would a woman, and the same goes for women. The biblical illiteracy  of the people who spray painted the sign says enough about them. They simply don’t care about truth or love, only hate.

While startled to see the damage to the sign, sadly, I was not surprised. I had predicted this would happen sooner or later. The vandalism and theft me also feel mad, wanting to find out who the perpetrators were and seeking justice. Some measure of responsibility and accountability needed to come into play. Why? Because I’ve been around the proverbial “block" too much and long as an out gay man, knowing that some people can’t help but vandalize property. The hate in them is so strong. It is the vigilante spirit within them that thinks, through violence, their view of the world will dominate others. They desire no dialogue, only ruthless power. “Their way, or the highway,” thinking.

I quickly went into my “uppity gay advocate” role, which I learned after being denied tenure at Duke Divinity School because I’m gay. Fighting Duke University was a lesson of a lifetime. What lessons did I learn? First, report the case to the authorities. I filed a report with the Albuquerque Police Department. Second, get the media involved. I called two television stations, KRQE and KOB4. 

Here’s a link to the story on KOB4 in Albuquerque: https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/albuquerque-church-shares-message-of-acceptance-despite-recent-vandalism/

Third, I posted a sign on top of the Romans passage, which read: To Whom It May Concern, About our sign...please come Sunday morning and let’s talk about what happened. Love, Pastor Brett.” They did not take us “up” on the offer for a conversation this past Sunday. I doubted they would. Such violent people are also, by nature, cowards. That’s why they operate by night and do not put their names and contact information on their acts of violence. Yes, cowards. 

My message has since been torn down. Just like the larger sign.

Cowards.

We have now had great interviews with KRQE and KOB4. Great discussions around the church and among colleagues in ministry and the neighbors. People have bought other signs to replace the sign that was ripped off the post and taken away by the vandals. We will put up a new flag in the coming day. We still “abide no hatred."

In the end, as I’ve said time and again after such incidences in my life, love will win. Why? Because it is far stronger than hate.

Love will win.

May it be so.