| JANUARY 1, 2025 -- Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. Proverbs 10:12
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20
The older I get the more I appreciate the wisdom contained in the Book of Proverbs. It took me many years of experiencing life to finally be convinced without doubt that hating someone else does more harm to me than it does to the other person. And even more years than that to realize that mere indifference to someone else was not a suitable substitute for hatred, but that one should go beyond that state of mind to an attempt to love other people that one might otherwise instinctively hate or dislike. By “love” I mean that word which the Greeks call “Agape”, selfless, unconditional love. I’m still working on putting that into practice, so don’t expect to see a halo on me yet. But slowly but surely, I’m moving in that direction. It isn’t easy.
The above wisdom also applies when one encounters someone who, for no fault of your own, shows hatred towards you. The most famous quote concerning this problem comes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who wrote: “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” This was part of a longer statement, where he wrote: “Returning hate for hate only multiplies hate, adding a deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”
What does hating another person do to your own mental health? When you hate others that hatred can significantly negatively impact your own mental health. Hate leads to increased stress, anxiety, depression, and even physical health issues. Continual hatred causes a constant release of stress hormones. Holding onto hate can be detrimental to your overall well-being.
Finally, when others, particularly members of your own family or close friends, observe your hatred towards some people, it also affects your friends and family negatively. It is similar to what happens to the family of an alcoholic or addict, who end up suffering from being near the addicted individual through no fault of their own.
So, for your own good and the good of society learn to return hate with love.
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