Where there is hate, there is love.
They’re Jewish. They’re Muslim. They’re orthodox Jews. They’re radical Muslims. They’re Zionists. They’re terrorists. They’re rapists. To each other, they are anything but human.
Two religions, two cultures, both rich in history and tradition, but also marred by a self-righteous denial of the other’s right to exist and a belief that God’s on their side, inspiring them to avenge the other.
Yet, from top to bottom, be they rich or poor, their true God is absent from their hate-filled war games because the Creator is too busy infusing love into the world through any and every willing earthly partner. This truth means God does take sides, and it’s always the side of love.
But why then is there so much hate in this world?
From my own limited, earthbound opinion, I would guess that people choose to hate others, and if they express that hate outwardly, tension is released and they feel somewhat happier. But this opinion may be devoid of any truth.
If I could have a deeper understanding of what motivates hate, I’d have to sit and listen and hope for some concrete answers from a more magnificent realm. The bible doesn’t have the answer, nor does the Koran considering their histories of violence. But I do believe in the omniscience of the voice within us. So when I invited it to weigh in on why hate is filling so many hearts and minds today, I heard this response:
To understand hate, you must first understand love.
Love is at the entrance of everything.
When love fills the heart, doors open. This is made visibly true when you offer love, accept love, and begin things rooted in love.
Even when you don’t see or feel any evidence of love, it IS there. Don’t miss it.
Love is also at the grand entrance of corruption.
Corruption always begins with loving something too much, such as an unquenchable love of money, sex, alcohol, drugs, pain, hatred, violence, or the power of higher office.
Love is also at the entrance of sorrow. What has one lost, what do they need, who do they miss that they loved?
Love is at the entrance of hardship. It prods and enfolds one to overcome necessary obstacles. It's a divine teacher.
Love is the great embellishment in life. It’s the beloved, bejeweled crown that secures one's joy and sense of well-being.
Love is a capstone holding you together, holding families, communities, and nations together. Make it your masterpiece and ask others to make it theirs.
If love is the capstone, what lies beneath it?
Genuine, unassailable truth that always empowers a noble consciousness. Keep seeking it.
Benefit, and the need to experience it. It raises you up, and you in turn uplift others. Keep pursuing it.
Willingness to give relentlessly and unselfishly. It minimizes suffering and opens eyes to the needs of others.
All the hate in your world is but a teardrop falling into the ocean of love. It falls because people love and fear its loss—or experience loss to the extreme: loss of self, of family, of security, of tradition, of country, of one’s beliefs. Love those people with all your might, and one day they may choose to love again.
Present Valley
Such a relevant posting.
I have seen love be the entrance to everything in my time on this earth.
I have also experienced the challenge of loving a prickly person or two in my life. Sometimes I could only do it from a distance because it was too painful to come in close.
I can admit at times it felt hopeless and frustrating to continue to send out love...whether in a prayer, a text, a card...and on and on... with nothing coming back that my love was received or even wanted.
I questioned if this was the correct path to stay on. With some people it literally took years for their hearts to soften...and yet it did happen. Yet some hearts did not change. However, I hold on to the hope that when things are uncertain any positive outcome can happen. And that positive outcome would be opening to love.
Thank you for the timely reminder!
Evangel
First, thank you for the huge influx of kindreds into my philanthropist fund! That was such a generous and welcome surprise.
Your comment expresses one of the greatest frustrations in life. Everyone has experienced unrequited love in one form or another, and it can be very heartbreaking.
Giving love for me is much like watering a plant. Some plants soak it in and perk up. Others don’t, even with persistence. Some are too damaged, but you keep trying because you love the plant. You just may not get the result you hoped you. At least not yet, because as you said, any positive outcome can still happen.
Keep giving as if it will. ❤️
Slipstream
The message contained in this piece is quite beautiful; it touched my heart as I read it. I don’t doubt all the love the Universe holds for us, but it’s certainly a challenge to recognize the love that’s inherently ours when its opposite is thrown in our faces day in and day out.
That’s why the statement in your article, “All the hate in your world is but a teardrop falling into the ocean of love” was so meaningful. It gave me a powerful visual to focus on when I feel disheartened.
I appreciate you sharing this piece.
Evangel
I really appreciated your comment. And I agree it’s challenging. There’s a lot of darkness casting its shadow over all the love out there.
A French sociologist once said that in America, fear is what drives our social-economic behavior. And today we have an acronym for it: FOMO (fear of missing out).
What’s thrown into our faces day in and day out is the manipulative practice of fear-mongering aimed at prodding us into buying the next great thing that’s “essential” to our wellbeing—whether it’s a stronger deodorant or a stronger political candidate.
The fear of missing out resembles death. It creates anxiety and rage, and terrorizes people to the point of hating those who stand in their way. Political advertisements are the worst offenders, but that will never change unless we lose our right to vote. But we can change ourselves by not buying into any of it.
Well Street
The image you chose to go along with your article is an apt illustration of the "have, have less, and have not" of society's hierarchy.
Your question of why there's so much hate brings to mind Schwarzaneggar's line from the Terminator movie when speaking of humankind: "It is in your nature to destroy yourselves." These words sometimes feel prophetic, considering our brains are wired for threat and danger awareness.
I typically equate love with purity and I had never considered how it can lead to corruption.
I looked up the definition of embellishment: "To make beautiful or elegant by ornaments; to decorate; to adorn." Regarding love as a bejeweled crown is a perfect image I can see in my mind.
I, too, appreciate the description of hate as a mere teardrop in love's ocean.
Thank you for posting this thought-provoking piece. I've read it several times and wrapping my mind around it has been enjoyable and ongoing.
Evangel
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I really appreciate anyone who takes time to think deeply about the challenges we’re facing.
Though our brains are highly wired for threat and danger, they are more deeply rooted in love and nurture. That's why people at peace prefer to stay in peace so that life continues to be beautiful and nurturing. It’s the threat of losing that sense of security that will bring people to war, as we see in conflict zones everywhere.
The biggest threat we face is not the oceans rising, a meteor crashing into us, or a cosmic explosion, it’s an economy that continues to trend toward benefitting only the super-rich while leaving the rest of everyone to scrape by.
Serenity Township
What a beautiful and poetic post that really shows the all encompassing nature of love….along with the most memorable words “all the hate in your world is but a teardrop falling into the ocean of love.”
Evangel
Such a flattering comment! ❤️
When I heard this wisdom, I realized that love is not the opposite of hate but, as you understood, fully encompasses hate. We thrive on love. Losing any bit of it provokes hate either toward ourselves for losing it, or toward others for taking it away. So much of the hate I see in the world today seems to be coming from those who love the privilege they have and fear they are losing it.