BH Bulletin - Monday 7 June 2021

​Thought for the Day by Phil Washington (BH Member)

​Why so much hatred?
 
‘The acts of the flesh are obvious.....hatred, discord...factions.’ Galatians 5:19
 
What saddens me so much about our current world situation, is not so much the pandemic, or the climate crisis, nor even the hatred that we see between individuals, groups and nations. What gets me is the belief that we can fix all these problems! The optimism of mankind, bearing in mind the dreadful track record so far, is utterly staggering - don't you think?
 
Take human hatred for example. 'All you need is love' sang the Beatles at the start of the 'Make love, not war' hippy generation. A few years later those four fabulous friends were at each others throats. It's the same wherever you look isn't it? Why can't we just get along? Why has there been, and continues to be war and hatred in all it's ugly manifestations?
 
The writers of the (wonderful) Heidelberg Catechism of 1594, showed far more sense when they wrote 'I am by nature prone to hate God and my neighbour' (Question 5). It sounds rather harsh to our (woke-ish) ears doesn't it? But what they were teaching was biblical truth. God's Word tells us that we are bent upon hatred. It festers in all of our hearts in some form or another. As Galatians 5:19 teaches us, it's an act of our (fallen) nature.
 
So, don't be over optimistic for world peace, or for a Utopian society. Rather seek a new heart, a new nature, that will (naturally) bear the fruit of peace and righteousness. That new heart and nature is the gift of God to all who put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
'I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you' Ezekiel 36:26

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