Let the Ideas Fly, But Keep the Fists Down
1 October 2025
Ugghh.
In Michigan Sunday night, congregational worshipers went to bed not humming beautiful hymns from the morning’s worship–but removing their bloodied and smoke-saturated clothing after the latest troubled American unleashed violence and terror.
(Note: On behalf of COS, on Monday morning, I connected with five different leaders of our neighbor-partners Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Peachtree City Ward, expressing our concern, love and prayers regarding the Michigan event.)
This horror emerges on the heels of the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk and a few months ago the killing of legislators on the other side of the political spectrum. The armed arson attack is the latest blip amid a tremendously long list of violent trauma throughout our country’s political and cultural history.
In the Peasants Revolt in Germany in 1520, Martin Luther made a plea to his fellow countrymen:
“let the ideas fly, but keep the fists down.” That call to a mature pathway for doing life together, even in bitterly divisive times—offered in so many versions throughout history—needs re-posting these days as much as possible.
As Christians who worship the Prince of Peace, we remind one another keep the fists down, the guns down, and the negative language down — especially now, in light of the waves of the physical and verbal violence sweeping our nation. Sometimes we learn that mental health challenges tormented the assailants. But that doesn’t let us off the hook regarding the culture we foster. Whether it’s in public squares or private homes, as Christians, we must refuse to be drawn into violence, retaliation, or hateful speech. We are citizens of a higher politics, and our allegiance is to Christ and to love.
The Fifth Commandment — “You shall not kill” — can shape not only our actions but our attitudes, our speech, and our inner life.
Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, explains this commandment not only in its negative form (“do not kill”) but in its positive scope. He writes: “What does this mean? We should fear and love God, that we may not hurt nor harm our neighbor in his body; but help and befriend him in every bodily need.”
In other words, the commandment forbids more than physical murder. It forbids hurting or harming another — even by words, by intimidation, by hatred, by threats. And it calls us beyond restraint to active compassion: to help the neighbor in every bodily and perhaps even material or emotional need.
For those convinced you would never use weapons to enact your frustration, good for you. But again, let me emphasize the toxic potential of words. They wound. They inflame. They bear poison. When we speak harshly, vilify others, or use demeaning, hateful, or violent rhetoric—even rhetorically “to punch back” or “get in someone’s face”—we risk kindling fire storms of hatred and division.
In Psalm 140, God warns us that our tongues can be “sharp as serpents, and use lips as venomous as vipers.”
In James 3, we’re warned our tongues can be small sparks that ignite great forest fires or used to “shoot from ambush at the innocent”. Psalm 64. Proverbs 15:4 says, “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit”.
So, all of us–our leaders especially–must be held to a high standard regarding the way we talk about each other. Jesus himself said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) To be a peacemaker is not to be passive or weak, but courageous — choosing bridge-building or forgiveness over bullying, belittling, or vengeance.
So, friends, as we confess in worship each week, we are part of a broken world.
Therefore, we need to shine our Jesus-light, for ourselves and our neighbors. We must refuse the allure of hateful rhetoric, the temptation of incitement, or the rush to harm or silence by force. Can each of us be more mindful in our conversations: online, in homes, or in the neighborhood? Whether in political discourse or sometimes tense situations of family life, can we ask for the Spirit’s strength that no cruel word may slip, no threat be made, no demeaning insult be spoken?
Resolved for peace-making with you,
Pastor Fritz
Let us pray. Lord, in times of stress, help us remember Luther’s wisdom: ideas can fly — that is, let people debate, argue, reason — but keep the fists (and poisoned tongues) down. Send your Holy Spirit upon our beloved country that we may debate in love, persuade in humility, and speak truth with grace. May we be known as those who suffer insults rather than inflict them, who transfer swords into plowshares, who bind up wounds, who work for justice through peaceful means, and who above all love our neighbor — even the neighbor we disagree with — in word and deed. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Prince of Peace, we pray. Amen.