Love Instead of Hate

Claudia Graf

MA, LPC/A

1/23/2023

This week, we commemorated the influential Baptist minister and civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When reading some of his famous quotes, I was challenged to reflect on my views and interactions with others. One of my favorites is:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

We all have those people in our lives who are a bit ‘harder to love.’ They might think differently than we do, their personalities rub us the wrong way, they do not share our opinions and political views, or they might even be treating us with disrespect. Even before Martin Luther King Jr., Jesus challenged us to love our friends and our enemies. He dared us to pray for them instead of hating them, to bless them instead of cursing them (Matthew 5:44).
Today, I encourage you to love your neighbor, especially those different from you. I want to challenge you to listen, not defend yourself or counterattack, to show more kindness, understanding, and compassion. We have the choice to make a difference. Let us shine some of God’s light into this dark world and share his love instead of hate. I am not encouraging exposing oneself to abuse but challenging ourselves to step out of our comfort zones and to do more of what Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged us to do.

“Too often, we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear,
an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”