If you don't know what's been happening this past week on the news, I have to ask: do you live under a rock? Just two days ago, I was discouraged at the news I had heard, that four African-American eighteen year old adults kidnapped a mentally challenged man and tortured him, as well as made him say anti-white and anti-Trump statements. The day after that there was an active shooter situation in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It is 2017. I can't help but wonder: where is the love?

It's been far too long that people from both parties (and by parties I mean republican and democrat) have been vying for peace and tolerance between nationalities, races, religion -- virtually every type of person. So I must ask: why are hate crimes still happening? Especially when there are people pushing tolerance who are also the perpetrators of said hate crimes.

As Catholics, we are called to love everyone, because they are a human person. We cannot just say we love these people, we cannot just sit mundanely by either, we must show our love with our actions and a perfect way to show love is through joy. Joy is often infectious whether it be something as simple as laughing. If you watch someone laughing intentionally with someone you can't help but smile. When we see someone being happy, oftentimes we feel better just knowing someone is enjoying the beauty and gift of life to the fullest.

So when we see crimes such as this, the torturing of an innocent soul, all we can do is pray and try to keep a happy face and continue spreading the love of one another. Jesus said: "This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35) And love is not a feeling or simply just an expression; it is a verb. We are called to love, and to love actively especially in the darkness of this world where evil and injustice run rampant. We must be the light of hope, joy, and love.

It is easy to sit behind a computer and tell people to love actively, and I will be the first to admit that it is a difficult lifestyle change, but it can start out as simply having a more positive outlook on life; like laughter, optimism looks good on anyone and certainly is something attractive in a world where optimism is lacking. Perhaps it is simply remembering to smile more; sometimes if you smile at someone their whole day is made. Additionally, just be nice to people and show them you care, and I don't mean the superficial nice either. I mean the nice that can be equated with kindness and genuineness. If we treat everyone we meet in this way then maybe, just maybe, we can help the world love a little better and hope a little more.