Hatred

For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the palace of aliens is a city no more, it will never be rebuilt.

Isaiah 25

Hate’s the only thing we have in common
There’s no escape, we’ll always be this way
So we might as well just learn to live together
’cause we’re gonna be this way till our dying day

The Kinks “Hatred”

Hello everyone.

The images coming out of Israel and Gaza have been horrifying. The attack by Hamas was as brutal as it was unexpected. Israel’s response, while not unexpected, has been devastating. The death toll is already in the thousands and continues to climb with each new hour of conflict.

I don’t know what Hamas was trying to accomplish by starting this war. To begin with, the atrocities committed by Hamas fighters have only served to turn public opinion against them. And more importantly, many innocent people in Gaza and Israel are suffering the consequences of Hamas’ actions.

Watching this crisis unfold, it is hard not to have a strong emotional reaction. I feel a certain amount of tension as my emotions swing between anger verging on hatred for the attackers and heartbreak for the victims on both sides. How should people of faith respond? Is hatred or anger ever appropriate for a Christian?

The answers are not as clear cut as we might like; the same tensions between conflicting emotions exist in scripture. In one of the appointed readings for this coming Sunday, Isaiah 25:1-9, we hear that tension in words of joy at both devastation –

For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the palace of aliens is a city no more, it will never be rebuilt.

Isaiah 25:2

and restoration –

On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.

And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever.

Isaiah 25:6-7

On the one hand, Isaiah disparages the “ruthless” and the “aliens,” while on the other, he lifts up God’s promise to provide an eschatological feast for “all peoples.”

I believe there are things that we should be angry about, things like children going hungry and inequality in health care; domestic violence; and the needless suffering caused by war. These are things that should make us angry enough to act.

Hatred, is another matter. We are called to love, never to hate. We can be angry about someone’s actions and take steps to mitigate the damage they cause, but we can never hate. Hatred is destructive. Hatred disrespects God by reducing the object of your hatred, one of God’s children, to something less than human. When you reach the point of dehumanizing another, hatred can become lethal. And, just for the record, if you ever think that God is calling you to take someone’s life, it is not God’s voice you are hearing.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should tell you that I’m writing this blog in the surgery waiting room. My wife was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer and is in surgery having her thyroid removed. We are expecting (and praying for) a full recovery, but I have no trouble saying that I hate cancer and look forward to the day when it no longer exists.

It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Isaiah 25:9

Be angry about the right things and then act in a loving, appropriate way.