Respond with Love

Our family has been watching a lot more TV as we practice social distancing and it occurred to me how many story lines are about overcoming adversity and fighting injustice. It stood out because the movie drama isn’t that different from today’s news.

My wife gives me a hard time, out of affection, when she catches me wiping away a tear or two when I see acts of courage and love, even if the story involves a little girl and a magical abominable snowman. Or like the classic battle between Jean Valjean and Javert, where only love could resolve the injustice they both experienced from opposite sides of a more real issue.

In many cases, the real battles we face can take years, decades, or even centuries to resolve, but in the midst of the struggle we find acts of love from good people even if their adversary doesn’t seem to deserve it. Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, and many others past and present fought with love and we remember them in a way that makes us want to be better people when faced with a wrong.

I would be a hypocrite to say that it is easy to act out of love when faced with wrongdoing. Compassion is certainly harder than anger, and it may not be the only response in defense of human life and dignity, but let’s not hurt the innocent because of our anger. Fighting for justice is a righteous endeavor and we should stand together (or march or kneel) for what is right for everyone, without prejudice and with a good measure of love, not hate.

The power of love is a strong catalyst for change because it sinks deep in to our hearts and makes us all want to be better. As Martin Luther King stated, “Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”