We have all heard about the killing of Brian Thompson, a health care corporate executive, in New York. Another man, named Luigi Mangioni has been arrested for the alleged killing and there will be a trial soon.

At this place, let me make a disclaimer: We must use words like “alleged” to describe the crime. We can’t say someone is guilty, until the verdict is given by a judge or jury. We will follow that practice here, but most of the world has already decided that the crime was murder, and we think we know who did it.

I will be careful how I write, but there is a picture of ourselves, in this story.

If you want to know more:

Since the shooting, and the arrest of the suspect, some public reactions have been strange. The suspect has been described as a hero, a kind of modern Robin Hood, and he seems to have many supporters. As of December 19, 2024, crowdfunding sources have raised more than one hundred thousand dollars for the suspect’s defense costs.

Imagine; we believe someone shot another person in the head, and killed them. That’s not alleged, that really happened and the victim is dead. Brian Thompson was (allegedly) killed by the suspect who is now waiting for his trial, in New York. When we think we know who did the killing, some turned him to a public hero.

Imagine that!

There is a spiritual lesson here. In the Bible, we have instructions “Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 23: 13).

Obviously, killing, in this case, refers to intentional killing, or murder. We can control who we murder, and we are told “thou shalt not“. That ‘no murder’ command is one of the ten commandments, and that source tells us how to behave with other people and with God. It’s a basic foundation of our culture.

This may not seem profound, it is a very simple lesson. We have this ancient command, and we should do what it says. That might seem like childish spirituality, but we have members of the public who agree with, and support, someone who they believe broke this rule. This is a very public failure at the most basic level.

Are you familiar with the “Ten Commandments”? They are the foundation of the Jewish and Christian religions. Recently, a copy of the Commandments was sold at an auction.

This is the oldest known copy of the document, and it was Samaritan, not Jewish or Christian. This ancient stone tablet is about 1,500 years old, and it sold for five million dollars. Apparently, someone respects instructions from God. It is important for the foundations of our civilization stay with us and keep doing their work.

That explains the five million dollar sale of an old, flat piece of stone that someone dug up.

And then we have the recent celebration of murder. The crime is only alleged, yes, but the people who gave their support to the suspect believe sincerely that he did it. From that belief we have a celebration of the act, and promises of support.

This is an interesting picture of our modern society. Someone paid millions for an old piece of stone with the ten commandments scratched on it, and other people are enthusiastic when they believe someone broke one of those commandments.

This coin has two sides.

In the same Bible as the ten commandments, we have the stories of an ancient preacher, named Jesus. He lived and worked a few centuries before the stone tablet was made. The people who lived around him were very dedicated to the ancient religious rules, sometimes they were fanatical. They would not be surprised to know that someone payed millions for that old, flat piece of stone, with some words scratched on it.

We need to relearn the lesson, that things from God should live in us, and change the way we act. It is not enough to have inscriptions on stones, or words in books, or spoken words in religious services. That religious audience was told:

You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. (Matthew 5: 21 and 22)

That preacher, Jesus, told conservative religious people to internalize the instructions from God. And to act them out. We know the rest of the story. The common symbol among the followers of Jesus is a cross, the tool that was used to execute their founder. Jesus was removed, killed, by religious people, when he told them to make it real.

I hope we can all learn this lesson. There is a profound failure in the human race, and we need to be changed. Old time religion in public places is not the same as the truth lived out in our lives.

This simple lesson is greater than we might think:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5: 3 to 12)