Saturday, August 21, 2004
Loving our enemies
I am reading this book written by Martin Luther King, Jr.: Strength to Love
He mentioned in one of his sermons there are three reasons why we must love our enemies:
1) Returning hate for hate multiplies hate. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
2) Hate scars the soul and distorts the personality. Hate is just as injurious to the person who hates. Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate confuses the beautiful from the ugly and the ugly from the beautiful. Hate also confuses the true from the false and the false from the true. Most of our inner conflicts are rooted in hate. Hate divides the personality and love in an amazing and inexorable way unites it.
3) Love is only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. What a better way to destroy our enemies than by making them our friends!
How nice would it be if each of us can implement this understanding and creative, redemptive goodwill for all men! There would be PEACE all around the world!
I am reading this book written by Martin Luther King, Jr.: Strength to Love
He mentioned in one of his sermons there are three reasons why we must love our enemies:
1) Returning hate for hate multiplies hate. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
2) Hate scars the soul and distorts the personality. Hate is just as injurious to the person who hates. Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate confuses the beautiful from the ugly and the ugly from the beautiful. Hate also confuses the true from the false and the false from the true. Most of our inner conflicts are rooted in hate. Hate divides the personality and love in an amazing and inexorable way unites it.
3) Love is only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. What a better way to destroy our enemies than by making them our friends!
How nice would it be if each of us can implement this understanding and creative, redemptive goodwill for all men! There would be PEACE all around the world!
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