An Argument For Hate: Maisy Marple's Unapologetically Christian Essays 505

Also by Maisy Marple

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An Argument For Hate

Maisy Marple

Contents

Introduction

1. An Argument For Hate

2. Get Free Books!

About the Author

Introduction

Dear Reader, Before you begin reading this short guide, you should know some things up front. The first being, I am predominantly a fiction writer. The second being, I have no formal religious education, nor have I consulted the help of theologians or clergy to help me come to the conclusions I’ve put forth in these pages, or the pages of any of my essays about my faith. The third being, I have had my struggles with God in the past. I spent most of my twenties as an atheist, denouncing God and falling into all of the traps that await those who are arrogant enough to think they can figure out the world without God’s guiding hands. I’ve been through deep depressions, wildly dissatisfied with the world around me. I’ve failed to enjoy my work and my family, and have been guilty of incredible feats of selfishness and a profound lack of gratitude. At the age of twenty-one, I became an alcoholic. I didn’t even know it at the time. But as years ed and I was drinking heavily, without an ‘off’ switch, it became clear that I was in need of major help. That help came, at first, in the form of my family. They were key in helping me make a transition into sobriety. It was beyond difficult. In fact, it was without a doubt, the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my entire life. But I’m here almost seven years later. I’ve not had a drink in the that time, and my life is leaps and bounds better because of it.

My family got me started, but finding God again is what has kept me going. You see, when you’re an alcoholic and you decide that you want to quit drinking, that’s not all you give up. Often times, as was the case with me, you give up a social life. You might lose friends along the way who just can’t understand what you’re doing, or why you’re doing it. They might become angry with you for changing. It takes a lot of strength to stand up for yourself and do what you know is best for yourself and those around you who truly have your best interest at heart. Talking to people and writing had to be relearned. It’s one thing to carry on a conversation with someone while you’re under the influence of drink. But try talking to that same person with nary a drop in your system, and you find yourself wondering: What’s wrong with me? Through that difficult time, I was able to look inward, and start to ask the really difficult question: How do I find meaning in my life? In my opinion, through what I’ve learned, that can only be truly accomplished by turning to God. I have committed my life fully to God, and now work daily to be a disciple of Christ. These are my views based on the knowledge and wisdom I’ve been able to glean from God and Jesus’s commandments and lessons. I’m not perfect — far from it. But I am much better than I used to be. It’s taken a lot of time and effort and reflection to get to this point. It is my hope through these short and actionable essays that someone out there might find something of use; something that sparks an interest and encourages them to seek the truth and beauty of God in our world. With all of that having been said, let’s get started.

God Bless, Maisy Marple December 2020

1

An Argument For Hate

Irealize how terrible the title to this essay sounds. But if you continue reading and don’t completely shut out the words in front of you, it might be an essay that you find, not only compelling, but also practical, and most importantly, true. The seed of this particular topic was planted and began to germinate as I was driving around upstate New York, a few miles from my home. I like to look at people’s front yards and homes, always looking for some inspiration for my own. One front yard in particular caught my attention and made it impossible for me to notice any others for the remaining duration of my drive. The yard was really nothing special. There were no wonderful dashes of color from well landscaped flower beds, nor were there any hedges or fencing. It was just a yard, that was in slight need of mowing, leading up to a blue house that looked a titch neglected. I’m not ing judgement on that at all. Lord knows my own home could use some sprucing up on the outside. I tell you about this house only to say that it wasn’t one that should have gripped my mind in any way whatsoever. But it did. Lately, political signs and messages have been overwhelming, over powering, and never ending. And they don’t seem to disappear between elections the way I them going away. I have my share of shirts with messages and I’ve displayed my political views proudly throughout the years. But as I get older, it really does get exhausting. I’ve, personally, stopped doing that because it never seems to have a positive effect on anything. I’m pretty sure that if Jesus were to come into my home and sit with me, He might ask me what in the world I was doing. He might refer me to some of his lessons on worldly authority and their overall lack of importance on our earthly life. He might remind me how they have all failed somebody at some point in time, and worshipping them by wearing their name on a shirt or putting a sign in the front yard might not be the most well directed use of my

time. Just some thoughts I have about what He might say if I were so blessed to hold council with Him someday. This yard I described above had one such sign that really forced me to do some noodling. Thankfully, I was able to keep enough of my noodle on the road and get home safely. But in the past several days and weeks the message of this sign has stuck in my craw. It read:

Hate Has No Home Here.

At the time, I wasn’t sure what it was about this sign that gripped me. But over time, I’ve thought about what someone must be feeling to put that sign in their yard. It comes from a negative, hate filled space in one’s heart, doesn’t it? It’s not really an affirmation, in the same way a sign about love or friendship would be. It doesn’t set positive expectations for people who might want to visit. For instance the message of that sign could better be encapsulated with a message like:

Love and Friendship Welcome

But that’s not the message that was presented. It was an unwelcoming sign, meant to detract people whom the owner of the home might deem as hateful. But who decides what’s hateful?

We seem to have made ourselves the arbiters of truth, and most of us tend to look at people who disagree with us on big issues as hateful. Let’s take the current American landscape, shall we? (I choose America because that’s where I’m from. But I’m sure that no matter where on this vast earth you live, you have similar issues going on around you.) Immigration is a hot button topic. If you want to make it harder to let people into the country then you’re hateful because you’re exclusionary. If, on the other hand, you want to make it exceedingly easy for people to enter the country, you’re hateful of those who are already here. Sexual relationships seem to be another major struggle at the moment. If you’re not in favor of the LGBT community because you think it’s an act of sin, then you’re labeled as hateful for not allowing people to be who they want to be. If, on the other hand, you’re in favor of the LGBT community, you’re hateful because you a lifestyle that will be destructive to the moral fabric of humanity. Money and Power have always been contentious issues. If you have money and power, or you those who do, then you must hate poor people and just want them to suffer. If you want wealthy and powerful people to relinquish some of their wealth and give it to the poor, then you must hate those who have more than you because of your laziness and petty jealously. Let’s face it, there’s no shortage of things to argue about, and almost no limits to the hatred we can feel in our hearts. And so, while I understand the sentiment of the sign, I think it’s fairly narrow in its scope and hate filled in its own right. We all have our biases, including the wonderful people who would put such a sign on their front yard. Furthermore, I’d be willing to bet that if a hateful person wanted to come to their home, that person would be met with some level of animus…and dare I say, hatred. I often find that the people who spout off about how they don’t hate anyone, or

who would proudly display a flag or message with that sentiment, often do have hatred in their hearts. Because they’re humans. And to display that message proudly, shows a certain level of moral superiority that could only result in a modicum of hatred for those who would not be so pious. That’s one of the trains of thought I’ve had about that sign in the last number of days. Another is that Hatred exists for a reason. And Hatred should have a place in your home. It should be a sparing one. It should not be brought out often, and should definitely be saved only for those things that truly deserve your full hatred. But what are those things? Does God want us to hate anything? You bet He does. It is stated several times that God wants us to hate EVIL. In Psalms 97:10, it is written: O you who love the Lord, hate evil! In Proverbs 6:16-19: There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. In Romans 12:9: Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. We must be careful not confuse that message with the hatred of the evildoer. It’s human nature to look at a person who’s doing something we deem to be evil, and to our judgement upon them, and possibly to hate them because of what they are doing. But that’s not what God desires from us. He demands that the act receive the

hatred, while the actor gets our love and grace. It’s a message that is easily confused, and one that is much harder to do in reality than I’m sure many of us would like it to be. Another way of looking at it is the catchy, and simplified: Hate the sin, not the sinner. It’s catchy, and simple and a proper reminder of how we are to deal with those individuals who are peddling in evil. But simple ain’t easy, especially when our emotions come into place. Often times, we hate evil so much, that what we do in retaliation might well be deemed evil itself. That, in my mind, is the most difficult thing about living a life worthy of God’s favor. We can know what is expected in any situation, but the strong emotions we are capable of feeling when presented with evil deeds, often makes it too difficult for us to forgive the doer of those deeds while making it clear that those deeds are unacceptable. Throughout my life, I’ve been guilting of hating the wrong things. Namely, people. God loves people, and all the people are His children. A father continues to love his child, even when his child does wrong, and even when his child does evil. We are made in the image of God, and taught to live in accordance with God. Therefore, if one of God’s children errors on the side of evil, understand that that person is our brother or sister in Christ, and as we would with our own familial siblings, we are to continue to love THEM, and hate THEIR ACTIONS. If we fail at this, which all of us do at one point or another, wouldn’t we desire grace from those who would deem our judgement of another as wicked or evil. And didn’t Jesus command us to do unto others as we would have done to us?

It really is amazing how every answer one can seek all seems to tie back to the words and wisdom of God, Jesus, and the Holy Bible. I am perpetually amazed, and love this journey I find myself on. I hope that through the writing of this short essay, I’ve inspired you to look at the notion of hate in a different way — one that allows you to offer your grace and love to those who would otherwise not have received it, all while standing firmly on your guiding principles set forth by God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN Maisy Marple July 2021

2

Get Free Books!

Dear Reader, I hope that you’ve enjoyed this essay on Christianity. I also hope that you’ve been able to take some of my words and incorporate them into your own life as you work in your discipleship to Christ. If you liked what I had to write, and you enjoyed reading my words, I’d love to offer you the opportunity to read more of my books for free. By clicking HERE, you can get the first book in my Coffee Creek Cozy Mystery Series, Coffee & Corpses at no cost to you. Thank you and God Bless, Maisy Marple

About the Author

Maisy Marple is a lover of small town cozy mysteries, plus she has a wicked coffee habit to boot. She loves nothing more than diving into a clean mystery with a cup of the darkest, blackest coffee around. She grew up in a small town and now lives in the country, giving her more than enough inspiration for creating the cozy locales and memorable characters that are on display in her Connie Cafe Mystery Series! Also, she hates social media — so you won’t find her there. To connect with Maisy, sign up for her VIP reader list and get a free mystery story. Check out the offer on the previous page.

Also by Maisy Marple

A Connie Cafe Mystery Coffee & Corpses: A Clean Small Town Cozy Mystery with Coffee & Romance Ligature & Latte: A Clean Small Town Cozy Mystery with Coffee & Romance Autumn & Autopsies: A Clean Small Town Cozy Mystery with Coffee & Romance Pumpkins & Poison: A Clean Small Town Cozy Mystery with Coffee & Romance Decaf & Death: A Clean Small Town Cozy Mystery with Coffee & Romance Turkey & Treachery Mistletoe & Memories Snow and Sneakery (A Connie Cafe Mystery Novella)

Connie Cafe Mystery Collections Connie Cafe Mysteries Books 1 - 3: Coffee & Corpses/Ligature & Latte/Autumn & Autopsies Connie Cafe Two Pack: Pumpkins & Poison (Book 4)/Decaf & Death (Book 5)

Connie Cafe Two Packs Connie Cafe Mystery Two Pack: Ligature & Latte (Book 2)/Autumn & Autopsies (Book 3)

Maisy Marple's Unapologetically Christian Essays Reason for the Season Free Will Is Messy God Is Not Santa Claus Not About This World An Argument For Hate

Standalone Connie Cafe Mystery Collection: Mysteries 1-4 Connie Cafe Mystery Series (Books 1-5): Coffee & Corpses/Ligature & Latte/Autumn & Autopsies/Pumpkins & Poison/Decaf & Death Connie Cafe Mystery Collection Books 1 - 6: Coffee & Corpses/Ligature & Latte/Autumn & Autopsies/Pumpkins & Poison/Decaf & Death/Turkey & Treachery Connie Cafe Mystery Collection: Mysteries 4-6: Pumpkins & Poison/Decaf & Death/Turkey & Treachery Connie Cafe Mysteries Two Pack: Turkey & Treachery (Book 6)/Mistletoe & Memories (Book 7) Connie Cafe Mystery Collection: The First Seven Books! Forty Years Together