Doing the impossible

Have you ever tried to love somebody who hates you? Or seems to hate you? Or, have you ever tried to love somebody whom you seem to WANT to hate? Fill in what you will here--Christians. Muslims. Your annoyingly loud neighbors. That girl/guy down the street. A specific name of someone you know. The list could go on...

Man. You really have to push aside your natural "reactive" feelings of anger, judgment, etc and choose to love, don't you? You have to NOT rant and rave to others (Man, that sucks...I do that a lot). You have to ban those feelings of "I could strangle (fill in the blank)." Honestly, for me, rather than really loving, I just end up ignoring (as much as possible). Ignoring is easier. But is it right?

Now, of course, hate is a strong word for me to use here. Most people wouldn't say that they genuinely hate somebody. Because, hey, hate is a relative word, isn't it? Instead, we tend to say, "Wow, geez, (such and such) really gets on my nerves. Did you hear what he did to me last week?" Or "Man, this kid WHINES so much I can't take it anymore! I could just storm out of this room and leave the brat here to wallow in his own pity!" (sometimes my experience at work).

I've noticed, but it's funny how quick I am to cover my own butt. To excuse my own thinking. But if it's not love, then it's not Godly, right? "Hate" really isn't relative. Above all else, "Love the Lord your God" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." The definition of hate is seen in its antithesis (i.e. the definition of love). If I am not doing the antithesis of hate, then I am doing hate.

We can cover it up all we want to. Cover up the hate. But I know that the Lord is smart enough to see through it. And, if we're really not kidding ourselves, so are we. So is the rest of the world. It starts with those around us.