Tuesday, May 22, 2012

When Hate Rises

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  


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