I know that the Confederate flag had nothing to do with the slaughter of black Christians in Charleston, that removing it would be another example of symbolism over substance, that to acquiesce on this point would be only to encourage the Left, which never tires of this kind of thing, that many people take pride in this symbol of Southern culture and gallantry, and that banishing it from state grounds would do nothing to help African Americans in society today.
However, given its undeniable connection with slavery and the unsettled racial climate in which we find ourselves, discretion is the better part of valor. May Christian humility rule, and may supporters of this flag give up their “rights” in order to demonstrate their love and forbearance on this issue. This would be a fitting tribute to those who died and their loved ones. Sometimes symbolic acts really do matter. And this is one of those times.
About Stan Guthrie
Stan Guthrie is an editor at large for Christianity Today magazine and for the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. His latest book is God's Story in 66 Verses. He also is author of All that Jesus Asks: How His Questions Can Teach and Transform Us, Missions in the Third Millennium: 21 Key Trends for the 21st Century, and A Concise Guide to Bible Prophecy. He is co-author of The Sacrament of Evangelism. Besides authoring, writing, and editing books, Stan is a literary agent, bringing together good authors, good books, and good publishers.
Stan writes the monthly Priorities colum for BreakPoint.org. He has appeared on National Public Radio's Tell Me More, WGN's Milt Rosenberg program, and many Christian shows, including The Eric Metaxas Show and Moody Radio's New Day Florida. A licensed minister and an inspirational speaker, he served as moderator for the Christian Book Expo panel discussion, Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does It Make?
I know that the Confederate flag had nothing to do with the slaughter of black Christians in Charleston, that removing it would be another example of symbolism over substance, that to acquiesce on this point would be only to encourage the Left, which never tires of this kind of thing, that many people take pride in this symbol of Southern culture and gallantry, and that banishing it from state grounds would do nothing to help African Americans in society today.
