The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-25
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
THE VICTORY OVER HATRED: THE
LAW OF LOVE A RATIONAL THING.
By the Rev. Frederick o. MacCartney,
Minister of the First Unitarian
Church, Rockland, Mass.

you. bless them that curse you. and pray for
them that despitefully use y~ou."-Luke vi. "a.
How few OF US nave regarded those IA
miliar words as presenting an ideal for our
realization. We smile and say: This COM
mand to love ones enemies is utterly i'm
practical and impossible" Yet, If we think
a little longer, We may realize that this law
Of love is the one great practical and ra-
tional thing which, when fulfilled in our
lives. shall have transformed them.
For these phrases express that which is
most fundamental in the teachings OF Jesus,
and constituted, when put into life. a vital
portion OF His religion. 1t was the incor-
poration of this very spirit of love which
keeps you in regard and love for the son
Of Mary: this is the strange fascination,
the secret of that power which makes your
unrevealed divinity respond to His revealed
godlikeness. Love should triumph over
hate.
The term love, as used here. obviously
does not signify simply that natural and
spontaneous affection which one has for a
brother or sister. mother or child. 1t must
be used in a broader sense. Love is not
merely an emotion. 1t is a principle, it is
a habit of the mind, an attitude of the will
Thus when We are admonished TO love enc
mics, 1t is to a high and noble attitude of
mind and heart and will that we are called:
10 the attainment of a spiritual affection.
No admonition- could be more comprehen-
sive than this, for IL includes thought and
word and deed: Pray for them that de-
spitefully use YOU" or, have right thoughts
toward an enemy. BLESS them that curse
you, or, speak well to and of an enemy;
you"
Take the first of these admonitions. 1t
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one should outwardly pray for a man while
in heart hating him. To ask a blessing on
the tn9,d man mo, whom ON you WOULD @injrre. If you
his face. II would be hypocrisy and bias
Phemy- Christ must have meant that in the
herignant shirt avan toward an enemy
and an earnest desire for his best good.
THE GOSPEL RULE.
Bless him who curses you. IL my heart
is right toward him who hates me my words
will manifest the inner spirit. Surely these
words are searchingi Here we are told to
return blessing for railing. TO speak in kind
ness to him who turns upon us with hateful,
haunting words. There is in every man
something that should receive praise. Add
not curse to curse. for he in whom there is
no trace Of good is already thrice cursed.
Do good 10 him who hates you. The
natural tendency is to leave a man strictly
alone who is an enemy. even when no harm
Is done him But We are told here 10 pur-
sue a contrary course. IL a man who hates
us fails In business or is threatened with
failure the instructive prompting is to let
him alone in his financial ruin. or possibly
hasten his downfall. Under this command
we would do all in our power TO preserve
his financial integrity.
In a thousand ways. in every relation
snip or life, there is opportunity of put
ting into execution this command, which
at first seems so strange and impracti-
CAL. Turn TO our deepest consciousness of
truth and We are compelled TO admit, as
We see the comprehensiveness of these
words of the great Teacher. that the ideal
here presented must be realized by us If
We shall attain the highest life-and we are
confronted with our impotency in carrying
out this divine word.
1t may be that we can find some helpful
suggestions whereby we may attain the vic
tory over hatred, and-love. For love may
triumph over hate!
Let me say first that many an enmity
arises from misunderstanding. Often an
action admits of two interpretations One
Interpretation would lead a person TO con-
other. A breach thus occurs between two
friends. 1t is a critical moment. Unless an
understanding is reached the situation be-
cation of the cause of GOODNESS. one word
of condemnation gives occasion for an
answering word of anger. until a bitter en-
nifty results. In such a case, only an under
and a giving and receiving of forgiveness,
can re-establish the friendship.
Again. a man may dislike another because
fiery, enthusiastic n radical, the cool,
phlegmatic and conservative. man may be-
former type? Then make allowance for this
seeming sluggishness: imagine yourself OF
like temperament. and the whole tendency
spirit OF forbearance and kindness. which
Will gradually become the spirit of love. But
If you are of the latter type. deliberate and
nortinr1o md hQVO tnPnrrl6 tho i'll Will
of a radical and excitable man. you In
turn must consider this natural difference
OF mental constitution.
But in the practical realization OF this
word of Jesus. we must face severer tests.
IF a man hates me- you ask, with q pas
-sionate and implacable hatred, what snail
he is attempting to injure me in ali ways
possible. that he has vilified me of the ones
defrauded me. pursued me relentlessly? How
can | love such a one?
TRY TO HAVE FAITH.
Can you believe that each man, no matter
how bad. is a child Of God; has a divine
something in his nature. which Will eventu-
ally transform his baseness. and change his
whole being? If you can thus believe. you
will nave a powerful motive in gaining the
victory over the tendency to return hate for
hate. Let this t~ranscendent faith take pos
session Of you in regard to an enemy. Look
beneath the passion, the distorting rage, the
mean and base, and try to discern the ele-
ments Of goodness. the indications of a bet
ter nature. Sometime, afar of Ii may be. in
the quivering sunlight of a day OF God. the
last veStige of hatred will he stripped from
the man who hates YOU, and he will stand
clothed in arment white as light. the yes
ture of kindness and good Will. and his
thoughts will be gentle, like those OF a
child. There will be peace upon his face,
for he has come to you and confessed his
transgression, and you have gladly forgiven
him and he has gone forth at harmony
with himself and with the universe. But put
not off this day of reconciliation TO that dis
time. II possible let that day be-here,
However-motive Is inadequate TO give
us this power of loving those who nate
US. No man can attain unto the spirit OF
love who does not live in communion with
All Love. Only as we walk with Inefable
Love can We attain the power OF loving our
enemies. Once come within the ncompass-
ing compassion of the Father. and you cam
not but be compassionate. Breathe in the
atmosphere OF divine tenderness and, per-
vading the chambers of your inner life.
manifesting itself in your outer life, will be
a presence of love. Love will triumph
over hate! -,
Such a spirit as this is that which Will
conquer and which will eventually bring
in the reign of peace. What happiness there
would be in the heart of each OF US to-day
II we knew that there was not a being in
the universe with whom We were at enmity.
There is no happiness in that human heart
where hate holds its ominous abode. strive
as we may. struggle after goodness as We
may. lust as long as we cherish malice. so
long will there be unrest, so long VIII there