The world is reeling from the insanity of terrorism. Like a virus, the hate that fuels misguided terrorist attacks often mutates. The new strain of hatred blinds “civilized” people so that they no longer see the humanity of individuals, only “otherness”. Suspicious of otherness, they enact their own form of mindless targeted hatred. The stealth virus of terrorism infects and weakens cohesive societies by separating people into fearful, fighting groups.
One of the best Twilight Zone episodes, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, aptly captures how easily the virus of hatred spreads. At the end of this 1960 classic episode, narrator (and writer) Rod Serling comments, “The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill, and suspicion can destroy, and a thoughtless frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own for the children, and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is that these things cannot be confined to the Twilight Zone.”
The only proven antidote for the infection of hatred is love. Some of the greatest world leaders have demonstrated in their own lives, often at great sacrifice, the power love has to cure hate. One of those great men, Martin Luther King, Jr., will be remembered and honored on January 19th. King walked the walk in the truest sense of the word. He also talked the talk in ways that inspired people across the globe. There couldn’t be a more important time to read those words again.
For your considerations, some quotes from the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. (various sources):
People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.
As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation — either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
… love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see.
There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies.
Another way that you love your enemy is this: When the opportunity presents itself for you to defeat your enemy, that is the time which you must not do it. There will come a time, in many instances, when the person who hates you most, the person who has misused you most, the person who has gossiped about you most, the person who has spread false rumors about you most, there will come a time when you will have an opportunity to defeat that person. It might be in terms of a recommendation for a job; it might be in terms of helping that person to make some move in life. That’s the time you must do it. That is the meaning of love.
In the final analysis, love is not this sentimental something that we talk about. It’s not merely an emotional something. Love is creative, understanding goodwill for all men. It is the refusal to defeat any individual. When you rise to the level of love, of its great beauty and power, you seek only to defeat evil systems. Individuals who happen to be caught up in that system, you love, but you seek to defeat the system.
The choice is not between violence and nonviolence but between nonviolence and nonexistence.
We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.