Hate is a powerful emotion. Unfortunately, we are often surrounded by it. Hate from fear, from misunderstanding, from forced opinions, from stereotypes, and from history. We experience hate from accusations, and hurtful actions. Sometimes these things are caused by hate, but it also creates a wave of hate from the instance as well.

The television is full of disheartening accounts of these acts, the protests against them, and the violence that follows both sides. We may think it is tragic, that it would not happen in our neighborhoods, but then it does. People tend to forget that both sides of every story hurt, and have loss. In these terrible situations, we are all victims. Whether you are one victim to the hatred inside of you, or victim to an offense acted against you. We are all victims, in fact, because we are all humans, and it is our world that is ailed by these emotions and these actions.

When the world seems full of hate, remember that you can both stand up for the rights of others and be proud of our police force that works to keep our communities safe. You can both be concerned with our society’s standards, and support its growth. You can grieve for others, as well as breathe life into the change you want to see. When people are rooted in the anger that can spur on both sides, we forget that there do not have to be sides, that you can feel for both.

When the world seems full of hate, be the one that bridges from one side to another with reason. Be sure to keep your facts straight, and be conscious of what is happening around you. Realize that not everyone thinks the same way, and that though you may not agree, we are just grasping for justice and defense. All too often we polarize to “sides” of issues, instead of all being on the side of humanity, the side we are all a part of.

So when the world seems full of hate, realize the most powerful emotion is love. Change your anger into the love that should be used for positive action. Use that love to support your children in constructive endeavors and to build a sense of purpose in your community. Changing which emotion of which the world is full is the only way that we can change future events. We have made progress in the many years of our country’s development, but we cannot let that stop, though it may slow. Along with hate, there is a lot of heartbreak. Use the love you can create to drown out the hate in the world, one heart at a time.

Condolences and best wishes to those who have lost someone in the recent tragedies, and bless those who are working to make a difference.