Saturday, August 20, 2011

I ♥ Haters


I saw those words on a bumper sticker the other day. At first blush, it felt like the sticky vinyl equivalent to an offensive hand gesture to all who have the misfortune of driving behind the owner's vehicle. But, as a I continued on down the road, I gave it a little more thought. I let the image of the red heart and the words float around in a more complex area of my brain. The bumper sticker did not say, "I ♥ Hate." I hate the word hate. I am frequently lamenting to my children that there is no equivalent for the word hate in Spanish. So, I tell them there is no reason we need to use it just because the English language wants to be so darn specific. Rather, I ask them to say, "I don't like (fill in the blank)." No, the bumper sticker said, " I ♥ Haters." Haters are people, ergo, the owner of the vehicle is expressing his love for people, even if they hate. So, in the final analysis, the driver is boasting of Godly love, the love that we must work at, the love that has no immediate pay off.

So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Corinthians 1 13:13

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