There is a lot of hate in the name of God today. “All ___________ will go to hell!” “God hates all ___________! “May God destroy all ___________, infidels! (Fill in the blanks with notably despised people-groups and/or minorities). Sectarian hatred is alive and well today, as it was centuries ago. There is nothing new under the sun.
Yet, what is God’s greatest Commandment? When asked, Jesus gave this answer: “‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ Jesus answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,’” Jesus said. [Matthew 22:36-40.] In other words, love for God and love for one’s neighbor are two sides to the same coin/commandment. They are inseparable.
And, as if to make sure we would not wheedle-out of the second great commandment in favor of the first, Jesus added this admonition to the law of love: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” [Matthew 5:43-48.]
It is clear that God leaves no room for us to hate one another—we are not even to hate those who are out to destroy us—not even our enemies! (And how else would you define an enemy?) Yet over and over we see and hear spouting hatred, people spitting out mouthfuls of spite, hate, and cursing. Even religious folks, in the name of God, condemning to death and destruction, others of differing or opposing faith-communities.
Thus, the best test of true godliness, to discern whether a person or a group of people are truly of God, is to see whether or not they are loving, compassionate, patient, forgiving, merciful, and gracious to all. According to Jesus, these are the kind of people that truly reflect the spirit and heart of God.
In that light, most of us quite often fail to reflect a heart for God in our daily attitude toward others (including yours truly). But if we (religious folk) are to become the real and faithful lovers of God we want to be, we must demonstrate this by becoming men and women of goodwill to all others, whether they are good or bad, in or out, one of us or one of them, whether or not they are for us or against us. There is no getting around this truth, for it is part of God’s Greatest Commandment.
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