Monday, December 18, 2017

Hatred

December 18, 2017

Hate is a dangerous word. During our last presidential election, it was not uncommon to see posters with the message, “Love Trumps Hate,” a clever double-entendre that in the years since has lost some of its integrity with violence we have witnessed in the streets and vengeful words in the media. Republicans, Trump, and Trump supporters have been accused of systemic hatred, but the evidence of it has been largely on the other side. Of course, our president hasn’t particularly blunted the edge of his detractors’ attacks with his obsession with Twitter. 

It has been interesting to me that the Left seems to define hatred mostly in systemic terms, whereas the Right focuses on individual attitudes, which leaves both sides feeling justified in their beliefs. The actions of Leftists as they riot, destroy property, and attack anyone who stands up to them are seen by the Right as evidence of a hatred to which the Left is willingly blind. And the inability of the Right to understand and respond to the systemic manifestations of hatred give the Left justification for their belief that those on the other side of the aisle are not merely mistaken, but an evil that needs to be eradicated.

I realize that my reflections will dishearten some, anger others, and be cheered by still others. I am not trying to make particular political statements, but simply musing upon what I have seen. The other day, a person whom I have known as a kind and compassionate Christian stated that she hated Trump, a sentiment that surprised me coming from her. Because hatred poisons the soul of the one doing the hating, it saddens me to hear such polarizing language being used by people I know and respect. In this season of the year when we speak of peace on earth and goodwill to all, perhaps less vitriolic language could serve us better. The evils in this world are too great and too intrenched for us to be fighting each other. The old ditty I learned years ago is still packed with wisdom:

“There is so much good in the worst of us
And so much bad in the best of us
That is scarcely behooves any of us
To talk about the rest of us.”


This afternoon, Linda and I had an appointment with our attorney. In the course of our conversation, he talked briefly of his time serving as an assistant DA, having to prosecute criminal cases. His thoughts on this were instructive. He told us that most of the criminal cases he handled were not a matter of dealing with hardened criminals, but with ordinary people who made stupid decisions. We’ve all made stupid decisions; the only thing separating some of us from those in prison is often the nature of that decision, not having had the opportunity to fully carry it out, or simply that we didn’t get caught. Most of us have at one time or another been but a hairsbreadth away from being seriously on the wrong side of the law. I am grateful that when I was at my worst, I was not the recipient of well-deserved hatred, but that I received grace and mercy. I hope that I’ll be such a conveyer of grace and hope to those on the other side of the fence, the other side of the aisle, and the other side of even the law.

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