I’ve been thinking tonight about two ministers who spent a lot of the 20th century on TV, and the difference in reactions from the public when they died.

Fred Rogers was a minister who saw his calling to children and spent his life sharing messages of love, acceptance, and inclusion. He didn’t invoke God’s name on his program, but God’s love oozed out of him on every episode. When he passed away his loss was universally mourned by millions who knew somehow what love looked like because they had experienced Mr. Rogers on TV.

Pat Robertson was a minister who spent his life on TV leveraging his faith to try to accumulate power. He ran for President once, and spent his final decades on TV proclaiming a judgmental God who sends catastrophes to punish America for the “sins” that fundamentalist Republicans hate. He blamed pagans, feminists, and gays for bringing on the 9/11 attacks, and America’s abortion policy for Hurricane Katrina. He died yesterday and his death has been loudly celebrated across social media. The damage he did to Christianity and the name of Jesus is incalculable.

While I’m glad that Robertson is done wreaking damage on this earth, I don’t want to celebrate his (or anyone’s) death. I believe God’s love extends to all, and that eventually all will accept it. Some will just have a lot more reshaping, reforming, and repenting to do as they come to understand the real fullness and richness of God’s love. Given the choice, emulate Fred Rogers, not Pat Robertson.