Though I was not completely surprised, I was still slightly bewildered as almost the entire Democrat wing of representatives refused to rejoice in the beautiful gifts and accolades given to several individuals and families during President Trump’s address to Congress on March 4, 2025. The entire side of the room seemed petty, sulky, and inhumane as they rolled their eyes, interrupted, and refused to stand for a single moment of rejoicing. They might talk of the country coming together, but their actions speak otherwise.
This heart sickness derives from hate. This goes beyond merely protesting a policy here or there; this is a rejection of their fellow men and women whom they are supposed to be serving.
This is not a Democrat-only problem; I’ve seen Republicans be just as petty and childish, and we should call people on it whenever it happens.
Why should we point this out? Why notice? Why bring it up? Can’t we just forgive and forget and let bygones be bygones? Well…if they would confess their sin and repent, sure! But, no, we shouldn’t overlook black hearts.
On March 6 (two days later), Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched a mega rocket which exploded just minutes after separating from its Super Heavy booster. Online, many mocked and laughed, rejoicing in SpaceX’s loss and saying the explosion demonstrated incompetence. They give the worse possible spins to motives and propose unsubstantiated theories as to Elon Musk’s relationships to various parts of our government.
Masses of people rejoice in what they see as a setback, a failure, a black eye to this company, simply because they don’t like its owner.
In truth, this is how SpaceX runs. They work hard, blow things up, and learn from it. They know they must test and find the failures in their systems so they can correct them and move forward, and they must ignore the haters. Progress works this way.
As we follow the Lord Jesus Christ, we must understand our own hearts. It is easy to hate those with whom we strongly disagree, but we mustn’t. We may hate certain things they stand for, certain political / moral stances they take (and political choices are always moral choices), but we must separate the sin from the soul. Jesus said,
“You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just as the unjust.”
Matt. 5.43–45
We know that “love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13.4–6). As you see clips of those congressmen and congresswomen rolling their eyes at the President, refusing to clap for a 13-year-old who just received honorary membership as a secret service agent, and scrolling on their phones while people are celebrating life, you can see these are actions of hatred, disinterest, and disgust.
In Romans 12, Paul told us to “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight” (Rom. 12.14–16). God wants us to rejoice with those who rejoice! Legitimately and genuinely be happy for others’ successes. Do not rejoice in another’s failure.
We should rejoice when the wicked fail in their wickedness, but we must discern properly, mustn’t we? There is a difference in a wicked person failing in his wickedness and him failing in excellent pursuits. You may pray for a man to fail in his oppression of the poor, but why pray for him to fail in his business when he supports many hard-working individuals and families? We should pray for wickedness to be rooted out, but we also pray for kings and for our rulers that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life (1 Tim. 2.1–2).
Many times, we will not like the rulers who lead our country, our state, our city, our neighborhood HOA. But as our Father blesses the good and the evil alike, so should we pray for the good and the evil and wish God’s blessing upon all men for their ultimate good.
Let us not partake in the surrounding culture of hate. Jesus, help us to love wisely.