“Love your enemies,” is one of Jesus’ most basic and fundamental commands. We are called as Christians to love everyone, and most of us, when asked, would say that we do. But what about when that enemy wants to kill us? This has come to the front of my mind after the recent release of “American Sniper.”

I have not seen the movie and I don’t plan to, but the movie is not what I am questioning; rather, I am questioning what our response should be to the acts the movie depicts. I have heard the phrase “160 confirmed kills” spoken with awe and reverence almost everywhere on campus and in the news over the past week like it is something to be proud of, something to rejoice in. How is the loss of life of any person created in the image of God something to rejoice in?

I don’t write this to argue about when war is or isn’t necessary, but rather what our response must be to war. War is horrifyingly evil, and from what I’ve read, “American Sniper” communicates that message. But that should be the primary message we take away from the movie: not awe at the death of so-called savages, but pain and mourning that death is occurring.

Our response must be a prayer that the peace of the Lord will come and that it will come quickly. For if we can’t follow Christ’s basic command to love, can we truly be his followers?

–Nathan Stripp, Class of 2018