Hate for Hate

It's Saturday morning, 10:22am. I am working my Saturday shift for the month. I primarily respond to emails sent to the Admissions Office. When I left work yesterday, I left with a sense of accomplishment: the inbox was completely cleared out when I left to go home. This morning, there were 64 messages waiting. At least half of them are hateful letters of disdain for a recent news article published about Liberty University. Each email filled with words like "biggot," "hypocrites," "hope you enjoy Hell," etc. So ugly.

Part of me finds the need to defend myself. The other part of me is just frustrated. I'm not even really that frustrated about the actual situation, but rather the nature of people. When people groups have opposing view points, both point to "freedom of speech." I don't believe in tolerance, since I believe in absolute Truth. But I do believe in grace, love, and compassion. I see fallacy in hateful emails calling any group hateful. I do understand expressing concerns and opposing view points; that I can reckon with. I can understand asking questions and challenging opposing positions, but cannot fathom the logic in sending hate messages claiming someone is hateful. Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? It is truly tiresome.

As Christians, we mustn't hate. We must stand for Truth, but even Jesus prayed for those killing Him as He hung on the cross. Stephen, too, prayed for those stoning Him. Why, then, in an age of "free speech," and "personal rights," do we slander and kill each other for opposing view points? I don't expect that we all see eye-to-eye. I do expect that we reason, talk, ask questions...not throw stones in glass houses. Who wants to listen to someone hating them, no matter what side you're on with a position? Instead, let us love each other as human beings, created in the imago dei, and seek to ask questions, challenge positions in Truth and concern, and pray for each other.