Love to Counter Hatred

           

            All of us have been deeply affected by the horrible killing of the people worshipping at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill this past week by a man who told the world how much he hated the Jewish people and that he was “going in” to do something about it.  The something was to take four guns with him into the sanctuary of the synagogue and to kill eleven people and to wound four others.  He was wounded himself and taken to the hospital under guard.  Many charges were filed against him and he faces severe punishment.

            This event happened in the wake of the mailing of pipe bombs to a large number of critics of President Donald Trump by a man who is connected to radical right-wing organizations who value white supremacy above everything.  This incredible eruption of hatred is coming as we near the midterm elections with all of the name calling and destructive speech that seems  to be connected to it.  The very idea of one of the candidates promising to dig golf spikes into the face of his opponent reminds us of how divisive the politics in this country is becoming.  It’s almost as if we want to continue the Civil War with its hatred of African Americans or World War II with the massacre of six million Jews at the hands of the Nazis.  In each of these historical events there was tremendous loss of life as we set out to rectify the damage that hatred was doing to this world. 

            It’s not like hatred is a new thing; it’s been with us as long as we have had creation in this world.  Hatred has fueled most of the struggles in history and has caused enormous grief.  This latest eruption is another reminder of the work that we need to do as human beings and as Christians to make the world that our God created to be a reflection of God’s kingdom and not a place where we work our flawed will for our own benefit.

            In Mark’s gospel is a wonderful dialogue between Jesus and one of the scribes who had been listening to the Sadducees disputing with one another and who has asked Jesus “which is the greatest commandment?”  Jesus gave him the answer that we have all heard from our Lord’s teaching; Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.  This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like unto it:  love your neighbor as a person like yourself.  On these two commandments hang all of the law and the prophets.

            These are beautiful words and are the answer to the hatred that exists in this world.  I don’t know how many times that Jesus told us to love one another.  It is the essence of the New Testament and the reason that Jesus came among us.  He gave his life for all of humanity by dying on the cross condemned by the hatred of the authorities whom he confronted, and subsequently rose from the dead on Easter morning as a revelation to us of what God has in mind for us when we finish this life on earth.   Jesus’ life and ministry was a wonderful expression of love for all of God’s creation.  His example hopefully will remind us of how to conduct ourselves when hatred abounds.