The Color of Hatred

“Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” 

(Martin Luther King Jr., A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.)

I cannot recall ever hating someone. I've disliked some people, been angry, frustrated, resentful towards a few individuals over the years, but no hatred. Hatred frightens me for its power and intensity. The dictionary defines hatred as, "intense dislike or ill will," its synonyms including loathing, detestation, abhorrence, and abomination. It is altogether a state of hurt and separation.

It is also a profoundly common human experience. Countless millions have fallen into (chosen, become captive to, been taught to) hate, and as a consequence every possible atrocity has been inflicted upon humanity. When we hate, the focus of our hatred becomes objectified, opening the door to the darkest of human brutality.

“Hate,

it has caused a lot of problems in the world,

but has not solved one yet.” 

(Maya Angelou)

I wonder about the power of hate - its source, what sustains it. I suppose there are theological explanations; perhaps even psychological or physiological determinants, however, I find that the raw power of hatred is almost beyond definition.

There is an idea, though, that does tweak my interest - that hatred is the obverse of Love, or as some have called it, Love turned in on itself. I am open to this for I see in hatred a similar power and passion as I experience in Love. It is as though hatred is Love's doppelgänger, a ghostly opposite. 

Where Love infinitely creates and re-creates, heals and restores, hate infinitely destroys. Where Love builds up, hate tears down. What they have in common is an intensity of focus and a quintessential commitment to completion. Love never stops; so too hatred.

I am utterly convinced that the only antidote to hatred is Love. While "like dissolves like" in the physical world, in soulful realm of Light and dark, it is Love power of wholeness that will undue the chaos of hate. 

This all comes to bear as we are regularly bombarded by news stories of hatred's rampage. More hatred will not stop ISIS. More hatred will not stop prejudice, injustice, or any of humanity's many ills. There is but one road to healing, and it is the universe-generating power of Love.

Let all that you do be done in love.

(1 Corinthians 16:14)

Let us all be vigilant in our self-awareness, that hatred does not slip through the backdoor of our thoughts. Let us not fall prey to justifying hurtful actions under a false banner of justice. Lover bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and Love WILL outlast hatred's brief flash in the pan.

I leave the last word to the apostle John, who gives us this warning:

Whoever says he is in the light

and hates his brother

is still in darkness.

(1 John 2:9)

The color of hatred...

a smile with teeth.

Be infected

every cell

every molecule

every particle

of your being

with

Love

and let

the contagion

spread

Pray

beam

be

To Ponder Further:

From the Bible: "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:8)

From Bahá’í: "Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench. The Hand of Divine power can, alone, deliver mankind from this desolating affliction" (Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXXXII)

From Islam: “O You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of satan. He is an outright enemy to you.” (Holy Quran: 2, 208)

The Color of Roots

“A tree stands strong not by its fruits or branches,

but by the depth of its roots.” 

(Anthony Liccione)

A few weeks ago I moved our potted English ivy in order to clean behind it. In so doing I discovered that most of the leaves on the back of the plant had died. In fact, only a facade of health presented itself on the front side. It was mostly dead; mostly, but not quite. Clearly there was a problem with the roots, the bulk of them decayed within the mystery of the soil. 

I was tempted to simply toss the ivy into our compost barrel, however, I wanted to salvage something of this once beautiful plant, and so I clipped a handful of healthy vines and popped them into a jar of water. The rest of the plant went outside (it was March, with nighttime temperatures well below zero Celsius, and the crazy ivy refused to give up the ghost - it's still living!). Within a couple of weeks the jar was filling with new roots. 

This is truly a miracle in my eyes - that life so hungers for growth, for possibilities, for roots. This weekend I will pot these tender shoots, surrounding them with moist, rich humus, the foundation within which the next incarnation of this English ivy will grow.

It is hard place to be - rootless. The ivy vines would be long brown by now had they not sent roots tendrilling into the water, reaching for life, for renewal. So too with us human-beings. We need roots. 

There are times in life when we are cut off from our roots. Perhaps they were not well-grounded, were rotten in some way; maybe circumstances caused our roots to be severed. Either way, when dislocated from that which grounds us the fruit of our life begins to whither.

“I'm planting a tree

to teach me to gather strength

from my deepest roots.” 

(Andrea Koehle Jones, The Wish Trees)

Of what are your roots composed? Beliefs? Relationships and community? Self-image? Love? Christ? What grounds you? What forms your roots? Are they nourishing your whole being - body, soul, heart, and mind? If they are not, perhaps it is time to take a cutting and begin to grow new shoots. There are times when severing the old for the sake of life is the most desirable choice.

Regardless of the nature of your own roots, the universal soil in which we all find our well-being is the loam of Love. When we delve deep into the miracle and mystery of Love's power we can realize unending potential for growth, healing, and new life.

"For there is hope for a tree, When it is cut down,

that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not fail.

"Though its roots grow old in the ground

And its stump dies in the dry soil,

at the scent of water it will flourish

and put forth sprigs like a plant.

(Job 14:7-9)

You are a miracle, for life pulses through your whole being, even in the midst of hardships and challenges. Life pours into and through you, touching the people around you, setting off a vibration like dominoes bumping against each other. When your roots are strong, nourished in good soil, then the dominoes that topple before you represent the healing of the world. Know that in this day you have the power to make a difference in someone's life because of your roots, your leaves and branches, your fruit.

I leave the last word to the Psalmist: 

"O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You;

Look down from heaven and see,

and take care of this vine,

Even the shoot which Your right hand has planted..."

(Psalms 80:14-15)

The color of roots...

as be the roots, so be the tree.

Storm ravaged branch and trunk

find hope

far

below the ground

in

near-forgotten

roots

Grow

breathe

pray

To Ponder Further:

- From the Bible: "He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.: (Psalm 1.3)

- From common lore: “I love your roots, not the flower everybody sees!” (Akilnathan Logeswaran)

- From Native American lore: 

"One evening, an elderly Cherokee brave told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said "my son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all. 

One is evil. It is anger,

envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is good. It is joy, peace love, hope serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

the grandson though about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:

Which wolf wins?...

the old Cherokee simply replied, 'the one that you feed'"

The Color of Stormy Weather

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...

It's about learning to dance in the rain.” 

(Vivian Greene)

Yesterday the temperature reached +20 Celsius in Camrose; that's a very warm day for March 31st. Blue skies and summer breezes are easy to take after a winter of uncertain weather patterns. Today, on the other hand, it is 0 degrees with blowing snow and sleet. Gone are the blue skies, shorts and t-shirts... and I Love it.

Which is not to say that I have a particular affinity to blowing snow or storms, but that I realize that Loving whatever conditions surround me is so much more healing than resenting them. I have discovered that my attitude toward the state of things outside of myself does little to change those things. Acceptance or resentment, the storm rages on.

“There is peace even in the storm” 

(Vincent van Gogh, The Letters of Vincent van Gogh)

What does happen as a consequence of my attitude affects my heart, my being. Hating the weather, or any circumstance of my life for that matter, simply breeds more resentment, and all of that negative energy settles into the fibers of my heart. I find it all too easy to be resentful, and the more that I indulge such thoughts the greater the purchase their roots find in my awareness.

"It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person,

but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person."

(Matthew 15.11)

I sometimes find myself complaining about the weather, the government, the news, my family... the list goes on, and I must earnestly ask myself, "will I make my world a better place by bitching about it?" Of course, the answer is NO! However, giving thanks in the face of hardship, taking ownership of my thoughts and feelings, and learning to be Love no matter what the circumstance - these things do change our world, one heart at a time.

Take stock today - do you find yourself repeatedly complaining about something or someone? All you are doing is eroding your own well-being. Humanity does not need another eroded person, humanity needs the best you that you can be. Let go of resentment - really, just let it go. In it's place fill your thoughts with gratitude, compassion, and wonder at the spices of life.

I leave the last word to the Apostle Peter:

"Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling,

but on the contrary, bless,

for to this you were called,

that you may obtain a blessing."

(1 Peter 3.9)

The color of storms...

standing in the face of the gale

and letting the wind blow through you.

Iron

sharpens

iron

Love

sharpens

soul

Be the iron

of Love

to all

whom you

meet

Dance

in the

storm

To Ponder Further:

- From the bible: "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (Romans 12.12)
- From Confucianism: “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” (Confucius)

- From Native American wisdom: "Help me always to speak the truth quietly, to listen with an open mind when others speak, and to remember the peace that may be found in silence." (Cherokee Prayer)