Where there is Hatred let me sow Love

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I work my way through this prayer I think about the hatred that surrounds me.  I cannot begin to imagine the impact if we were to replace all hatred with love for others.  I know that I hear hatred expressed when the person expressing would not call it hatred.  It is not just internally that I must sow love against hatred but externally. 

I must remember that hatred is equated to murder by Christ.  I must remember that slandering others, speaking ill of people, or putting someone down is a form of hatred.  It could be argued that if I am not sowing love that I am by default sowing hatred.  In the fertile soil that is our interactions there are no fallow fields.  We deposit seed into everyone with whom we interact.

I am going to interact with hundreds of people today.  I dislike some of them.  How I treat them makes a difference in the life they experience.  No matter what my personal views of an individual are that individual must receive love and respect from me.  This may mean that I have to be uncomfortable or inconvenienced.  That is what love does.  It strongly and with resolve puts those things that I prefer behind those things that are best for another.

There is no substitute for love.  Tolerance is an arrogant putting up with another.  Kindness must proceed from genuine love for another or it makes one suspicious.  One must love another in order to infuse other good things into that person’s life.  There are evil things that I hate passionately but I must always maintain a barrier between hating that which is evil and loving those who are doing the evil.  My worst enemy must be loved by me.

All that I focus on must be informed and energized by my meager attempt to reflect the love of Christ into the lives of others.  The seeds of love that I sow must be the love of Christ for I have no power without it.  I am required to love as he loves.  That means that I am to love everyone, everywhere, every time.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. – Saint Francis of Assisi

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."