A Time To Love And A Time To Hate

WED., NOV. 10, 1982, 10:10 AM
FARM, STUDY

Yes, o son, it is proper that you seek My observations on yet another of these yin/yang proclamations of the Preacher. And, yes, it is possible that these shall constitute the basis for your next Ruminations. It would be good to have it dated December of this year. That’s a suggestion.

Some of the other of these “time to’s” are quite logical, expected, and acceptable. In a Christian context this one we explore this morning is rather unacceptable. God is love… right? Love the Lord, your God, with all your might, and your neighbor as yourself… right? Yes, there is a time to love, and that time is “most of the time.” There is no sense in which this theme should imply that the times for these two spiritual responses should be equal.

As you consider the “verses” one by one you see that they represent different concepts of time. “A time to be born and a time to die” represents rather limited moments which occur at each “end” of each earth life, with that life in between. “A time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted” represents repetitive times in the seasons of each year, with the growing and producing period betwixt. “A time to keep silence and a time to speak” is more situational. At one time silence is desirable, and at another, speaking forth.

The message of this one, “a time to love and a time to hate”, is that even the greatest and most positive of spiritual responses, love, needs to be balanced, from time to time, with its functional opposite, hate. It also should suggest that the rhythm for all persons will not be the same. Some, like you, shall feel relatively little hate. Others shall feel it more often and with greater intensity. And still others shall feel love often, with much intensity, and also hate, with equal intensity.

As you have been taught many times I do not wish and purpose that all should be alike or that there should be one standard to which all should aspire. Oh, yes, My life as Jesus had a modeling quality to it, but it is a general model, not one to measure against precisely. Part of the challenge of each life is to get to know yourself, part of which is development and part discovery. Then the life task is to be yourself, repenting and correcting and improving, certainly, but not denying the uniqueness that is you, in this time, place, and body.

Often, times to hate are times apart from Me. You may well be in the process of being true to yourself but that may be taking you away from Me. These are times of potential growth, for having love genuinely overcome an honest hate is a real spiritual experience. Often I would rather have you move away from Me with integrity and then return because you truly want to, rather than remain faithful but lukewarm and unexcited. So a departure to hate may also be the precursor to a return to love. A good rhythm, sometimes.