Love, Hate, & Apathy

I have heard most of my life that the opposite of love is hate and anger.  I heard that from serval places:  school, church, family, etc..  I no longer think that way.  I now believe that hate and anger is a part of love.  If you love something and that something is threatened, then what comes out is hate and anger.

So, hate and anger can show people what you truly love.  If you see hate and anger coming from someone, you can look to see what is threatened and know what is the object that is loved.  For instance, if I get upset because someone is a good dancer and I can't dance, then I am showing that I am loving myself and my status and popularity because my inability to dance like the other person  threatens my status and popularity, and maybe my chance to get the girl ;-).  

When we love the wrong things, then that is when our hate and anger cause bad results.  When we love rightly, then our hate and anger will do the right thing.  For instance, if I see someone attempting to harm my friends or family and I react with anger and hate towards the oppressor, then I am showing that I love my friends and family.

Part of my faith is that I believe that God is love.  I also believe that we were created in God's image and that means that we were created to love also.  Our shortcomings however causes us to not love rightly as God does.   We were created to love rightly, plus those of us who have God living within us and we are living in His love - are being cured by God so we can show His love towards others.

I believe apathy on the other hand is the true opposite of love because it has no feelings.  I also think that apathy is not a natural response that is within us, but is a learned response.  Hurts, hardness of the heart, and other things put us in a position not to give a care.