That ain't love!

Today someone said to me that they don't like a certain segment of the population because they believe they are always using the excuse of race to gain some sort of leg up in the world. He had already made a disparaging remark or two about black people, so I pressed him farther. He told me that of course he wasn't talking specifically about black people, but rather about people who use the race card when they whine about their lot in life. He followed that up by saying that he could love these people, but he didn't have to like them. I've had a running conversation with this man regarding "moral absolutes" lately. This man believes that most things in this life are black and white issues. He has often accused me of believing that nothing is absolute! To be honest, I wonder how people can be so ignorant! "God is this way" they scream! "God doesn't like people like you" they say. One of the favorite beliefs is that since they are a Christian, they are suddenly filled with this nebulous "love" that doesn't mean having to like someone. Seriously, how ignorant can you be? How can you love someone and not like them? I can hear someone saying now, "well my Aunt Sally is a total imbecile and I do NOT like her, but hell, she's family so I love her!" We all know that is bullshit! If you loved her even a little bit, you would make an effort to love her! True love casts out fear! True love covers a multitude of sins! True love! Not this mamby-pamby kind of love my friend seems to think he has. This sprinkle of love that he has for everyone just so he can get to heaven. That's not love! Love bridges our differences and makes us one. Love helps us understand one another! Love does not mean being in perfect agreement! Love means being in perfect harmony, even in the midst of disagreements. That's why I can look at some of my friends and say "I love you!" Do we see eye to eye? Hell no! But we would go to the mat for one another! In the scriptures, Jesus told us that there is no greater love that someone can have, that to give his own life for his friends. I think the addition to that would be that love doesn't expect you to do the same for me! Love, real love understands the differences between us and understands that you might react differently! Love doesn't hold grudges! It let's them go for the greater good! And, no loves doesn't mean you never have to say your sorry! Love means having to actually eat crow sometimes! I'm sorry for people who have such a cramped and narrow view that they think that people different from them aren't deserving of being liked! Because if you don't get to know me, you'll never love me! Love isn't a piece of candy we swallow that makes the world look like pink cotton! Love grows in us and then flows out of us! It must be tended, like a flower! It must be given attention so that it will grow! If you can't be around someone because you don't like them, I'm going to boldly say, you'll never learn to love them! j.