Hatemonger (Heyt-muhng-ger): one who kindles
hatred, enmity, or prejudice in others; one who arouses hatred
for others; A person who
encourages hatred towards a person or group of people; one
who disparages or belittles the worth
of someone or something.
This past political year has been a
year of turmoil and bubbling resentment that has turned to outright hatred. I have sat amazed as I heard politicians say
bitter and wicked things about their opponents.
These same politicians turned their bitter banter against the families
of their opponents next. Eventually they
started saying derogatory things about people groups they perceived their
opponents supported or were related to.
I am sure you all remember some of the following comments:
“Mexicans, South
and Latin America…are killers and rapists…”
“Melania Trump is
not an American Citizen.”
“Jeb Bush has to
like the Mexican illegals because of his wife.”
“Sadly, because president Obama has done such
a poor job as president, you won’t see another black president for
generations!”
“Trump hates women.”
The bitter rhetoric became so
repeated and strong we saw supporters of one candidate disrupt or attack
supporters of the other candidate, protestors attacking protestors, and sadly
even the following situation:
“Two brothers reportedly
attacked a 58-year-old Hispanic homeless man in Boston, breaking his nose and
urinating on him, in mid-August. They allegedly told police they targeted
the man because of his ethnicity and added, “Donald Trump was
right, all these illegals need to be deported,” (08-19-15 –Boston Globe).
How this must grieve our Heavenly
Father’s heart! How it SHOULD grieve
each believer’s heart!!
“A heart filled with anger
has no room for love.” -Joan Lunden
I am reminded about what God’s Word
says about the things hatemongers say:
And
He was saying, “That which proceeds
out of the man, that is what defiles the man.
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil
thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds
of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy,
slander, pride and foolishness.
– Mark 7:20-22 NASB
But
those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they
defile the man. For out of the heart
proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false
witness, blasphemies: - Matthew 15:18-19 KJV
A good man out of the good
treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is
good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of
his heart bringeth forth that
which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. – Luke 6:45
KJV
This helps me understand that when I
hear such hateful rhetoric coming from someone, even politicians, then I know
that there is evilness in his (or her) heart.
It gives me pause as to whether to vote for them. Ironically almost every politician in this
past presidential race has spoken hatefully of those they ran against. All
those politicians (and anyone for that matter) who spoke in resentment, hate,
and anger will now be responsible before God for what they said
“You
serpent’s brood, how can you say anything good out of your evil hearts? For a
man’s words depend on what fills his heart. A good man gives out good—from the
goodness stored in his heart; a bad man gives out evil—from his store of evil.
I tell you that men will have to answer at the day of judgment for every
careless word they utter—for it is your words that will acquit you, and your
words that will condemn you.” – Matthew 12:34-37 JB Phillips
Now
that the election is over you would think that things would settle down, but
they have not. I still see the news
media quoting angry rhetoric from those who lost and those who won. I still see an average of ten to fifteen posts
on Facebook each day saying how bad this person or that person is. My warning to each person who passes on these
hateful things is that you “will have to answer at the day of judgment for
every careless word” you utter, write, or repost, “for it is your words that
will acquit you, and your words that will condemn you.”
“But
the goal of our instruction is love [which springs] from a pure heart and a
good conscience and a sincere faith. Some
individuals have wandered away from these things into empty arguments and useless discussions, - 1 Tim 1:5-6
AMP
Take a moment
before you speak, write, or re-post to ask the Lord, “Lord Jesus, should I write
this? Should I say this? Should I re-post this?” Make each occasion you have to share on social
media count eternally by conducting “yourself
with wisdom in your interactions with outsiders (non-believers), make the most
of each opportunity [treating it as something precious].
Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so
that you will know how to answer each one [who questions you]. – Col 4:5-6 AMP
When we conduct
ourselves in the light of Colossians 4 then we are sharing the love of Jesus;
we are like cities on a hill in the dark of night with all our lights on –
beacons to the darkened sinful world in need of a Savior. When we do this there is no room for
hatemongering.
Hatred confuses life;
love harmonizes it.
Hatred darkens life;
love illuminates it.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
