Untitled photo by Joost J. Bakker Ijmuiden, © July 7, 2011
Hate speech is not love.
"If someone says, “I love God,” and
hates his brother, he is a liar . . . he who loves God must love his brother
also." - 1 John 4:20-21
When Hate Rises
When hate rises
Self-righteousness
minimizes
Diminishing humanity
Trading guilt
and shame
For image
and fame
The “I am
better than you”
Suppresses reality,
you are sinful too
When hate
rises
Love is
traded for compromises
Sin is labeled
simply as gay
Hate wins
the day
When hate
rises
Foolishness no
longer surprises
Ignorance
becomes the norm
Hate clouds
and begins to storm
When love
rises
Love never compromises
The log in
our own eye is removed
No one
stands approved
When love
rises
Nurture
rules the day
Humanity
embraces humanity
And Love has
its way
When Love rises
He has
outstretched arms
No one gets
what they deserve
And all who embrace
it escape harm
When love rises,
it finishes
Restoration never diminishes
When love rises, hate has its demise
© May 22, 2012, Robbie Pruitt
1 John 4:12-21
“If we love
one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He
in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of
God, God abides in him, and he in God. And
we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides
in God, and God in him. Love
has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of
judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love
casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in
love. We love Him because He first loved
us. If someone says, “I
love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother
whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that
he who loves God must love his
brother also.” - 1
John 4:12-21
