Contained in the great Biblical book of Ephesians written by the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians people, Paul said, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you. Along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.” It is clear from Paul’s perspective that God did not intend for us to hate each other because we possessed different viewpoints no matter what the issues were.
Additionally, in the Book of Matthew, the Lord cautions us about hatred toward each other: “You have heard that it was 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 (God).” Humanity would do well to subscribe to these words. We shouldn’t hate someone just because they have different ideas or points of views about any subject matter. We should instead embrace God’s idea to love one another.
It is difficult to love someone who we consider an enemy. It is not easy to love someone who doesn’t love us in return, and yet loving and praying for our enemies is how we become the sons and daughters of the Lord.
Hate and anger are different emotions, but strong feelings of hate can lead to angry violence. Therapist Stephanie Carnes, PhD, said, “sometimes hatred can even be rooted in a perceived threat to our survival as individuals, which naturally triggers a strong emotional response. Self-awareness is key to preventing or coping with hate. Identify what or who triggers hate in you and ask yourself why. Hate can be a profound intense and enduring dislike for someone or something. Hate can be tenacious, and often has roots in mistrust, fear, or lack of individual power, and vulnerability.”
Banishing hate and embracing love as a way of life fosters a society where people work in ways to benefit all. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish hate from other powerful negative emotions that you may be feeling at the same time. Dr. Carnes says that what makes hate different is that it’s directed toward someone’s entire being, not what they have done or their actions.
It is my belief that God’s instruction to us to pray for someone who we consider our enemy, fosters a desired outcome of care and love for all of humanity no matter what their ideas might be toward you. So, Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!
By Dr. Walter Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net
