Don't Hate

I have two problems with hate.
 I have too much of it.
 I see too much of it.

The other day I was in a group discussion that comprised of a baffled and very frustrated talk on how because 'kids today' get so much for free (they live in a culture of free and owed-to-me) they do not appreciate education or care about it.  This conversation then flowed into one on how idiotic our leaders are when it comes to finance and economics, which then concluded with laughing at those crazy people who buy gold in preparation for an economic downturn.  I say I don't understand why the kids are apathetic, but I do understand.  Pride of ownership goes a long way, and being spoon fed lies your entire life skews your perspective on the world.  This animosity, though I have been a participant in its creation, is wearing me so thin.

Facebook lately has been this same kind of exhausting.  Political post after political post, and all of them full of hate and purporting to be true.

"Prayer"

"Thanking them for their selfless service"

"I intend to lead and to have an America that's strong and helps lead the world"

I'm as guilty of spewing the political hatred as anybody, but I have grown oh so tired.  So tired of lies, deceit, hatred, falsehoods, and aggression.  So, I've realized, its all part of the same evil game.  A game to further hatred in my heart.  Consider...

Aren't these things of darkness?  
Why do we choose darkness?  
Why do we continue to elect evil, be it lesser or more?  
Why do we continue to believe lies?  Fool me twice, or every two years of my life, shame on me.  
Why do we continue to pretend like we're the exception?  
Why is it so easy to forget "do unto others as you would have them do to you"?  

Instead of messages like, "Let's make everyone else like us!" (which by the way has always been the death of whatever cultural trait or belief you are trying to save) and "We'll kill them because they killed our boys" (Which has worked out oh so well for peace, right?), and "Go vote so we can pretend like you had a choice!", why not try these:

"Let love be genuine.  Abhor what is evil."
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them."
"Live in harmony with one other."
"Out do one another with showing honor."
Romans 9
"Abstain from all appearance of evil."
1 Thess. 5
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."
Ephesians 5
"You should not follow a multitude to do evil."
Exodus 23
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."
Matthew 5
"For freedom Christ has set us free, do not submit again to the yoke of slavery."
Galatians 5
"Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."
Romans 12