Love Through Action And Truth
Photo by Ditto Bowo on Unsplash
You Cannot Reason Someone Out Of Hatred
by Eric Elkin
Please set aside your political affiliation for a moment. It may not be possible, but I invite you to try. We live in an age where truth is an endangered species, and what makes matters worse is we don't seem to care. My intent is not to attack any one political party or person. I only want us to consider the truth.
Most people will say, "All politicians lie." I would agree with this hypothesis. Politicians are humans, and all humans are naturally inclined to spin the truth. However, there is a difference between being fluid with the truth and lying. Case in point, New York Congressman-elect George Santos. Changing one's position based on their audience can be construed as lying. However, making up crap that obviously lacks any form of credibility is something different.
The lies George Santos told are too numerous to list here. My personal favorite, though, was the claim to be Jewish. When pressed on the issue, Santos countered, reporters forgot the hyphen. He wasn't Jewish as much as he was Jew-ish. I don't get it. Why lie? Why not say my position is consistent with the values of the Jewish community?
The national media has now discovered George Santos' lies. They will (and are) swarming around him to expose the fraud. The story gives the national media something to talk about. Reporters on the left and right will make a lot of money discussing his integrity or lack of integrity. Both will spin theories and demand action, but what is the truth?
In a separate arena, people in the sports world are calling for commentators to be fired for insensitive remarks made during a football game. During a recent football game, a player, Damar Hamlin, collapsed due to a cardiac arrest. Commentators', who are paid to share their opinions, made comments some people found disrespectful. Now, those who objected want the commentators fired. Did they lie?
Both situations share one common thread. Truth is not as important as our desire for vengeance. Anger blinds us from compassion, and we lose our ability to see the importance of the greater good. In a way, hatred breeds some level of death. Hatred can also imprison us.
When the Gestapo arrested Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he found prison allowed him to reflect on his life. He spent days trying to understand how his country of origin, a nation of intellectuals, became a bloodthirsty mob consumed in hatred. Eventually, he developed what some people call the "Theory of Stupidity."
Bonhoeffer never used the words stupid or stupidity. Instead, choosing fools and folly. He argued, "Folly is a more dangerous enemy to good than evil." According to Bonhoeffer, foolishness (or stupidity) was not measured by IQ. Instead, it was a condition brought on by indifference. Indifference allows a kind of hatred to manifest that reason cannot defeat.
Ultimately, Bonhoeffer believed folly (stupidity) can only be overcome by acts of liberation. That same principle can be stated another way, "Little children, let's not love with words or speech but with action and truth."
You cannot reason someone out of hatred, and you are powerless to change the direction of for-profit news outlets that seek to entice you to hate. However, you have the power to love through action and truth. By doing acts of love, you can liberate your neighbor from the bondage of hatred. You also can prevent yourself from being imprisoned by it as well. That is true no matter where or when you live.
Click to read 1 John 3: 11-21
Reflection Questions:
What causes you to get angry with the world or at people?
Has anyone tried to talk you out of being angry? Or, have you tried to this to someone else? How successful was the attempt?
What has helped you get over being angry? How might this experience help you deal with others?
What are examples of acts of love?