Hating Evil

             Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalm 97:10)

This verse got an initial “Huh?” from me. Those who love the Lord are to hate evil because God guards their lives…? It’s what the ancients called a non-sequitur (It does not follow.) On second – more prolonged – look, it does. Start with the realization that “hate” does not mean “don’t like.”  You probably don’t hate Brussels Sprouts, Castor Oil, or getting up at six in the morning. You might not want to have anything to do with them, but if your neighbor wants to get up at six and read for two hours – so long as she’s not disturbing you, I doubt you’ll object. And if that same neighbor wants to eat Brussels Sprouts or take Castor Oil, you’d probably say, “More power to ye.”

Love as been defined as seeking what is in the best interest of the beloved; seeking to do good to and for the beloved. Hatred, then, is seeking what is in the worst interest of the behated; seeking to do harm to and for the behated. Dramatic language aside, chances are that you won’t start a movement to wipe Brussels sprouts and Castor oil off the face of the earth and execute anyone who gets out of bed before eight.

When we turn the subject to evil, however, the situation changes. Think of the Germans who did nothing to stop the Nazis, or the folks living in America who didn’t stop slavery before 1865. They might not have liked what the Nazis and the slave-owners were doing, but most of us would likely conclude that they didn’t hate what the Nazis and slaver-owners were doing, because they weren’t willing to risk anything to stand against evil.

Now, let’s return to the passage. Those who love the Lord are to hate evil. That requires that they take an active role in opposing what is evil. They can do this because God guards them and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. They can hate and oppose evil because God protects them. But let’s be clear and honest here. God’s protection does not mean we won’t suffer hardship or even death. Our physical lives are important, but not ultimately important. Jesus died fighting evil and rose from the dead. We may be called to follow His example.  But it is safe for us to do so because the same God who called Jesus from the tomb will call us.