Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. – 1 John 4:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 12, 2015): 1 John 4

It is easy to hate. To hate something takes no personal fortitude, it is simply human nature. I hate vegetables. It is really not that hard. Vegetables are, at least to a certain extent, an acquired taste. That was why mom put the vegetables on your plate when you were a child and you played with them hoping that they would go away. Good old mom was hoping that you would acquire the taste and begin to like them. It never worked for me. And so late into my middle age years, I still hate vegetables.

So it should not be a surprise that we struggle with hating certain people. Some people are a lot like vegetables, they are an acquired taste – and often for a various set of reasons. Maybe they are know-it-alls which grieve our spirits. Maybe their lifestyle isn’t one that we have decided is correct. Or maybe they seem demanding, taking much more from us than they ever give. Maybe they are just annoying, or their appearance is displeasing, or their voice is grating. Maybe they have done something to hurt us. They are an acquired taste, and so unless we are willing to spend some time and get beyond the superficial, we will begin our descent into hate. It easy and we don’t have to plan for it. It just happens.

Something inside of me twitches every time I see a sign promoting what it is that God hates. And, yes, I know that the Bible lists some things that God hates, but there is much more written about the love of God then there is about the hate of God – and I believe that the places where the Bible says that God hates needs to be carefully studied and considered. The word may not mean what it means to us. Hate is easy, but God has never seemed to be an entity who likes to take the easy way.

John makes it clear that love emanates from God. He also makes it clear that what sets us apart from other people is the way that we love. What grieves me is that I am pretty sure that this is not the way the world views Christians. We are known for being judgmental and we are often defined by the things that we hate – not the way that we love. We have taken the easy way. But I believe that the Spirit of God is driving us beyond what is easy and toward what is harder – love. And not just love of those who are like us, but a God given love for everyone.

So, today as you meet up with people that are easy to hate, remember your vegetables. These people might just be an acquired taste, but more than that, the ones that you are tempted to hate might be exactly who it is that you need in your life in order to grow to be spiritually healthy. Just like you need to eat your vegetables.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 John 5