Ron Potter-Efron, author of “Angry All The Time”, says that anger is behind all hatred. He charts the path from anger to hate, saying that:
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initially we feel upset about something
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we blame someone else for causing this problem
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the problem is not resolved and so our anger escalates
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we lose our perspective, thinking about this issue all the time
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we resent the other person and dwell on what they did, believing that their actions were unforgivable
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our resentment turns to hate, like slowly hardening concrete
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our attitude towards the other person becomes rigid and unyielding
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nothing they say or do can make a difference to us
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hate provides the perfect excuse to stay angry
There is a lot of anger in our world nowadays over different issues (such as Brexit and the pandemic) and if we are not careful, this anger can lead to hatred, which tends to linger (sometimes families have been split for decades over various issues.) Forgiveness is the only way to break the cycle of hatred (see Matt 5:43-45). We have to want to forgive and will often have to work for it (reconciliation doesn’t just ‘happen’.)We must be prepared to pray and ask God for HIs help to forgive, to let go of the past and refuse to dwell on it and not judge the whole person because of one thing they have done. We must keep a sense of perspective, not turning a disappointment into a disaster. Hate will sour and poison our lives, preventing our growth and development, but as we allow God’s nature to grow within us, we will find the capacity and desire to forgive and to love as He does.
