It has always seemed ironic to me that those who accuse Christians of hating sinners are so quick to attack Christians or anyone else who disagrees with them with the most hateful words they know. How should we respond as a son or daughter of God through Christ?
Our Lord gave us a clear example for us to follow when he said from the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Nothing is more hateful than being stripped naked and nailed to a cross to die before a crowd of people that included his mother.
As a Christian teenager in the 1950’s, I witnessed another example of facing hate. I watched closely as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders faced unimaginable hatred. Dr. King told his followers not to fight hate with hate. because only love can and will defeat hate. I watched his “I have a dream” speech live on TV and although hate took his life, most of his dream has become a reality and Christians, including me, are still at work on it.
Our world is ablaze with spiritual warfare. There is only one escape route to safety. Is it an act of hate to warn others they are running toward the fire and try to lead them to safety? No! It is an act of love no matter what it is labeled by those heading toward the flames.