Turn on the daily news and you can’t help but notice how hate-filled the world is. One nation against another, one ethnic group hating another, one political group spouting hateful half-truths about another. You could easily get the impression that some people actually enjoy hating someone else. The more aware we are of this, the more normal it seems. Whatever happened to our grandparents’ advice: “Don’t hate people — hate their ways”?
The Bible has one basic word regarding hatred of people: don’t.Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love covers all offenses. Proverbs 10:12
“You have heard that the law of Moses says, `Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemies. But I say, love your enemy! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too.” Matthew 5:43-44
