Peaceable Kingdom
Hatred Fear and Division or Love Forgiveness and Redemption
Peace seems impossible at times and maybe always will be
The other day, I told my wife, “I hate Gary.” She responded, “You don’t hate him.” Huh. I thought I did.
Her point, she wasn’t denying my feelings but challenging me to question my declaration.
This was in a conversation about ‘ancient’ circumstances. At that time, he gave me terrible advice, which I took. As a result, I ended up in a real mire.
But hate him? How could I, after 25 years? Plus, I generally don’t actually hate anyone. Not to mention, he didn’t force me to do what he said.
She stopped me in my tracks and asked me to listen to myself. She wanted me to hear the word ‘hate’ and think about what it means.
Amy Sea explored this in a great essay about how our society seems so hateful in these times. Her title asks a relevant question:
Hate didn’t use to be so out in the open. People thought about it, but they didn’t brag about it.
She observes what is all too obvious these days. The United States seems split down the middle. Republicans vs. Democrats, MAGA vs. Libtards. Trumpers vs. Joe’s Boys. We wear hats and t-shirts emblazoned with hateful mottos. Heaven only knows that we would not sit at the same table.
Neither extreme wants any contact at all with the other. However, Amy raises a significant point.
A lot of people tell me they hate people now and I wonder if they know they’re also people. Do they hate themselves? Do they hate me?
What is the answer? Or is there even any answer at all?
Let’s think about how hate causes fear and division. If I can’t even talk with someone, wouldn’t it follow that I am afraid of them? In subtle but not-so-subtle ways.
I might even cross the street to avoid passing them on the sidewalk. Figuratively or literally, even.
What if we had made eye contact? What mean words could I have said? It would have been division at its worst.
On the other hand, I might remember the toddler holding their hand.
What if every time we think of hate, fear, and division, we substitute the words love, forgiveness, and reconciliation?
Kindness, as simple as it can be, has power. It can change the narrative completely.
My hat blew off when I got into my car in an icy, snowy parking lot. A considerate guy trotted after it and picked it up for me.
Is he a Republican? Does he have a Trump sign in his yard? Who cares? I love that hat. Thank you, whoever you are.
In short, we can reshape the whole scenario. Bring it down to earth.
A simple way to start is found here on the internet.
Trolls abound and can be so, so cruel. How can one respond to such hostility?
My best suggestion is — if you have to read comments — don’t answer back. Leave them ranting in their darkness.
Or, if you come across something that is not entirely absurd, write a kind response. How hard can it be?
This is the leave-the-trolls-under-the-bridge. Bullies are best ignored.
But if you find something which can be a wedge in the division, try “Thanks for your observation. We disagree but don’t have to hate.”
Pollyannaish? Yes, but who knows?
Look at my feature photo, which interprets the Hebrew Bible verses in Isaiah, Chapter 11.
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”
This spirit can be found in all world religions. It is a hope for what seems impossible — A cessation of hostility, kindness toward those who used to be our enemies, and safety for all.
War no more? Fantastical? Yet it can be done on a simple day-to-day level with us.
Try it.
Citation for the photo above, Hicks, Edward, 1780–1849. Peaceable Kingdom, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=53085 [retrieved December 25, 2022]
Please also read the other essays, which address thoughtful topics.
