Hatred is a word that is casually thrown around. Very few people consider the Biblical context in the words of our Lord, that we are guilty of murder if we hate people. Similarly, we sometimes wish that someone would “go to hell”; not heeding the fact that hell is not just “hell” a useless epithet, but “Hell” an actual place of eternal torment and suffering. For that matter, even those of us who would never actually consciously wish that on someone, might as well wish it by our silence and disregard for their eternal destination.

Sometimes it is easy to get so wrapped up in our day to day cares of this world, and struggles with political and business opponents, that we forget that everyone around us is a living, eternal soul, that merely inhabits these bodies. Someday, we will have glorious new bodies, bodies which we will spend in either Heaven or Hell.

All of this came to mind yesterday when I was commenting on the status of former White House Press Corps member, Helen Thomas. Helen Thomas is in trouble for some evil, anti-Jewish comments that she made, and well she should be. Putting forth statements reminiscent of Hitler or Iran’s current fruitcake leader is something that cannot be tolerated. It is up to all sensible people to condemn her. That is, after all, how things used to work, back when people by use of social mores and values, not governmental force, changed society.

Yet for all of the outrage at her words, and rightful condemnation of her, I hear very few people wondering about the important issue of her eternal soul. The woman is in her early 80’s, and without her job to latch onto, might wither away and die sooner. Many people her age that lose their spouses/jobs/children/pets, in short, some constant in their lives, pass on quickly.

I find Helen Thomas to be a deplorable woman, which she is. Aren’t we all, though? Aren’t we all deplorable? Aren’t we all vile, worthless, wretches, worms, etc. In the end, Thomas’ fantastic racism is no more deserving of Hell than our sins. We all stand before a righteous God. But the good news is that Christ came to die for our sins, rose again, and advocates for us with the Father if we only accept his gift. How many do we ignore who are “bad”, and never tell them this good news. We seem not to care that they will suffer forever, and it is our fault! We disobeyed our Lord, and because of that they will burn!

Sometimes, you have to take measures that cause some to die. In war, you do this. But you do not wish for them to die and go to Hell. Perhaps you do, for your safety and those you are to protect, wish them to die, but not Hell. Or at least one should not do so.

The thing is that I did. I wished for the terrorists to burn forever. I have recently realized how wrong this was. I fought them, as a military member must, and our military continues to fight them. Along with fighting them, we must pray for them. Perhaps some of them might be saved. That is in God’s hands. What we must not do is confuse a desire to vanquish our military enemies with a desire for them to burn in Hell. The one is a just notion of warfare, though if taken too far it might lead to brutalities against those in our custody, which would be a great evil. The other is nothing but hate. We are murdering them in our hearts. Indeed, we are hoping for eternal death for them.

We all must combat evil wherever we find it. On the battle field, we cannot often share the Gospel with those who would kill us. They are shadowy forces in our “new” type of warfare. In the rest of our lives, we can, and indeed are commanded to, share the Gospel.

So Helen Thomas is gone from the White House. That is good. I am not going to beat her up, however. I would much rather pray for her. Pray for her to accept the Lord, before it is too late. Please pray for her and others like her. Please. Hell is real. So is Heaven. Pray!