The Gleaner published an article I wrote on Hate back in 1998, when Sandy’s own Ed Schwisow was the Editor. Recently, a TV newscaster monologue inspired me to write this follow-up article. Paraphrasing, he said: ‘Profoundly humiliating moments can be turned into a good learning experience for well-adjusted adults. However, in todays’ environment humiliating moments more often turn rage outward, focusing that rage on the very people that had been failed. You always hate the ones you betray.‘
The Gleaner article detailed my own discovery (before becoming a Christian) that truly harboring hate for just one person actually destroys the ability to truly love any person. Incredibly, the longer I hated, the more intense became my hatred…and the accompanying anger. I actually grew to enjoy the feelings of hatred, and I would secretly act out against those I hated behind closed doors and make them “pay”. I finally realized the intense evil and self-destructiveness that accompanies hate, so I simply turned away from it and refused to go there ever again…and then my whole perspective changed, and my ability to love others returned in ways I hadn’t thought possible.
Looking down to end times, Jesus clearly identified the impact of hatred on love in Matthew 24: 12, saying that the love of many will grow cold. We are now living in that very moment in history, where worldwide anger and hatred is rampant, and where truth and love are supplanted by sin and evil of every sort. It’s getting late, and past time for each of us to inventory our inner feelings, and see if there is hatred lurking there for anyone. Yes, hate the sin, but judgement belongs only to God. Dispose of hatred, because you will love the results, both now and eternally.