Dear millennial (and non-millennials, just the same),

I know that you don't want to hear another spiel about what you should and should not be doing, or another reason why the past was better than the present.

I get it — no one likes to hear what they are doing wrong and what they should change. It has just the opposite effect than what the person giving the advice intended. It makes us want to rebel more.

But can't you see it? The way that our generation is so full of hate? We hate this, we hate that. We hate that TV show, that movie, that word, that person, that race. And we still have hate to spare. Don't you get tired of all that hating? I know that I do.

We live in a culture where we have so many opportunities to be better and kinder, but we still choose hate time and time again. We are a generation of fighters. We are quick to fight for the rights of minority groups, but what about fighting for grace and love?

Why do victims of rape have to bend over backwards to prove the crime done against them? Not only were they violated, but they have to listen to the victim-blaming and shaming — "She was drunk, what did she expect to happen?" or "Look at what she was wearing, she was asking for it!" or "Are you sure it was rape? You have a lot of sexual partners in your past." or "How was that rape? You're a guy, how did you let a woman take advantage of you?" Or any number of things. Why are all communities and beliefs allowed to share their thoughts, but when Christians share their thoughts, they are labeled judgmental? Why are all police officers characterized by the actions of other officers? Why are we fighting over bathrooms when there are children starving in the streets?

Haven't we learned from the past? Violence is never the answer.

We can be fighters, and that is all well and dandy if you want to advocate for a cause or belief. But we don't have to fight with guns or violence or even harsh words. We don't need to fight with hate and judgment. We don't need to fight with brutality. We need to advocate for beliefs — advocate with your whole heart, but please do not do it at the expense of others or of love.

We need to fight for the love and grace and kindness that we are so desperately searching for. Instead of fighting about bathrooms, fight to love the people despite your differences. Focus on what binds us together as a generation. What binds us together with past generations. With your neighbors. With the nation. Fight for those binding factors. Learn kindness. Bless people with your words and presence rather than your absence. Show people grace — because you have bad days and so do they. Appreciate the house keeping staff, the waiters, the cashiers, and the cooks. Because they are serving you. Everyone has a story and everyone walks through something hard. Show people grace as you wish others showed you grace.

Fight for kindness. Deep and real kindness that reaches to the depths of your soul. Kindness still exists, but some people can only see their dark holes, but show them kindness anyway. Be that light. Kindness doesn't have to look like buying someone behind you a meal. Kindness is extending love and grace to your struggling and stressed out cashier at the gas station. It can be saying please and thank you. It can be brewing someone a cup of coffee when their day is falling apart. It can be a listening ear or a kind word. Kindness is simple and you don't need permission or a reason to show it.

And fight for love. A love that is beyond measure. A love that does not have prerequisites or conditions. Love because you can. Love because you are loved. Love those the same as you and those that are different from you. Love. Love. Love.

We are a broken world. A broken generation. We are broken people. Broken and hurting.

Oh, friend, how we are broken and hurting. We are hurting in the dark corners of our soul and in the depths of our hearts. We are hurting so deeply, but we try to cover that hurt with hate. But, friend, we are tired. We are tired of the chaos and the fighting. We are tired of the bantering and the arguing. We are all desperately looking for real love — not a hook-up and have sex with every single emotional complication in the world "love." But a real, authentic and boundless love. The kind of love our God in Heaven wants to give us. The kind of love that I strive to show others. And, my dear, dear friend, this kind of love is not limited to "Christians," but it is for all of us. My religion affiliation is beside the point, because Muslims want love. Buddhists want love, Agnostics and atheists want this kind of love. Because people want this kind of love.

So, my dear millennial, be that soft voice of change. You will be heard because the quiet stands out in the midst of the loud commotion. Stop hating. Starting loving and sharing kindness and grace.