Love’s Offensive Line
The earth, since the beginning of time, has been caught up in the cosmic war between love and hate. If you believe in the hope of Christ, then you know the outcome of the war. I know that Love is going to win; but it sure doesn’t seem like it.
Genocide in Burma, mass shootings in The United States, unwanted refugee migration, pillaging on South African farms, native tribes oppressed and starving, kids being bullied in every single school, people burning alive in garment factories so we can get a t-shirt for $10 on Black Friday…. unfortunately this list does not being to explain the influence hate has on our world. This list does not include prejudice, selfishness, or envy, it doesn’t include resentment or generational hurt.
I know that love wins; but it sure doesn’t seem like it.
Too often do I listen to the news or hear stories of hate at work and do nothing. I push aside the call to action that wells up in my soul, for the sake of safety and comfort. I do this; I’m not blaming anyone but me here. But we do need to ask ourselves “Have I ever chosen comfort and safety over justice and advocacy?”
For me it’s easy to give up, I know about hate but see how powerful its front is, and cower back down into the trench.
That’s just it though, wether you know it or not we are all apart of this war. We are either fighting or in the trenches; no one is back home when there is an all out war for the world.
My intention is not to depress or discourage you from action, but to acknowledge that if we don’t take the offensive and live our lives armed with love, hate will continue its reign over this earth.
I believe that hate has had its time. 2,000 years ago it peaked when it took the life of Jesus on the cross. Then he rose from the grave and love has been on the offensive ever since. So be encouraged that the love you show does make an impact on the hate in this world.
This country is polluted with hateful noise. Every outlet, television, radio, social media, and daily conversions are tuned to news of hate. Hateful noise drowns out stories of love; it takes our minds off of the acts of love we experience. I took inventory of what I focus on recently, nearly all of the information I was consuming was negative and hate-filled. No wonder I felt down and mad at the world. If I know that love is winning, that love is on the offensive, then I should live like it. Hate is not going to win, so why should we focus on it? It does not seem efficient to stand around holding a picket sign, when we each carry an ability to become a positive force, a light in the darkness. We have the opportunity to be a strangers biggest fan, and smile at our neighbors. If we took time to see the positive in people, we might be more willing to talk to people across the aisle from us, people that love different, believe different, or look different. We live in a beautiful world with beautiful people, let us all start to acknowledge it.
