Our culture is losing the ability to understand the distinction between Disagreement and Hate.
People who are mature and emotionally healthy are able to separate issues, beliefs, and practices from people. While I’m not setting myself up as anything special – I’m a human being like anyone else (and I have my problems and issues like anyone else) – I nevertheless am able to grasp this basic fact!
I can love people and yet still disagree with them.
I can love someone and even disapprove of what they are doing.
When I was a pastor in Ohio, a young man related to one of the members of our church committed a horrific crime. I went to visit the young man in jail and treated him with kindness and compassion. The young man wasn’t open to meeting with “a pastor,” and walked out. But that was his choice. I was willing to be meet with him, to listen to him, to care for him, and to pray for him EVEN THOUGH I believed what he did was terrible and that he deserved life imprisonment if not capital punishment.
Even though I recognized he needed to be held accountable for his actions, I still cared about him. And his family. And I tried to be there for his family during the trial process. (He was sentenced to 25 years and died in prison).
I get that there are times when you have to protect yourself or set boundaries. Loving someone doesn’t mean you need to subject yourself to abuse or danger. But it does mean you say no to hate.
And it certainly means you don’t let disagreements (including political disagreements) turn you into a bitter, vindictive person.
Love does not require agreement or approval.
Love is when you decide to care about and for the PERSON even if you don’t agree with or approve of what that person did or is doing – or what that person says, believes, or even how that person may treat YOU.
Love Your Neighbor.
Someone really smart and wise said that many years ago. We need to listen to Him and do it!
