Gandhi urged us to be the change we want to see in the world. If we want goodness, we must be good people. Mr. Virgo called me Pollyanna because I always look for the good…always. When you look for the bad, it’s all you will ever see. It becomes the lens through which you observe everything. It is poisonous, killing you and your loving heart, your caring mind.

But even I, in my eternal sunshine of being, am becoming weary. I shared a meme on my personal page yesterday. It was a picture of our President and First Lady, dancing. It wasn’t meant as a political statement. The message was this. Whether you hate him, or you hate her, THEY are not the problem. HATE is the problem. I’m not talking politics here. I’m talking about the human condition and hate is rampant out there. It baffles me.

Within seconds…SECONDS….of posting this message against hatred, my page was bombarded with angry messages. From people I know. People I love. People I have trusted with my heart. It was extremely discouraging. And it hurt my soul. I know…I should have known better. I came close to touching the third rail. I took the post down. Not in defeat but for self-preservation.

I cannot hate. I’ve been angry enough to entertain it in my heart before and it kills me. Hate is a product. Fear begets anger which in turn begets hatred. It’s a cancer. It is relentless and will not be satisfied. It is hungry. But I cannot dine at that table. I can’t even hate the haters. I’m not milquetoast, either. I have opinions and I can stand up for them.

What must Jesus be thinking?

“See…I told you to love your neighbor as you love yourself. What are you doing???”

But…they’ve forgotten. We’re ALL neighbors.

❤️

““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.””

John 13:34-35 NIV