John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
In every heart, there is a room for love and a room for hate, sharing a common wall. The wall between might be called focus. The door of choice swings both ways. Our exertion of thought and energy determine the direction the door swings most often.
Yesterday, a synagogue was attacked. Innocent people were killed. In the past, it’s been churches, mosques, temples, schools, offices, and the list goes on. The weapons have been guns, knives, automobiles, planes, and this list too goes on. The energy has always, always, always been hate. There is no love, there is no Divine, there is no God in these choices. Anyone who sees love here is looking through a distorted and twisted lens.
It’s tempting to become discouraged and exert our thoughts and energy on the hate. It’s tempting to swing that door toward hate and give it greater visibility. Like a great balloon, as we hold the door open, hate inflates with each breath of our fear.
Instead, let’s focus on the love in this world. While one man was making a poor choice to kill, caregivers around the world were helping others to live. While one man focused hate on a synagogue, many were showing love in the name of their faith. One rampaged in a house of worship up north, while entire houses of worship volunteered in Florida and North Carolina for hurricane survivors. Let’s give the breath of our praise to inflate love.
When we focus on the fear, hate grows. When we focus on faith, love grows. The choice of the swinging door is daily. Where will we exert our power?