Do you ever hate people? (opinion alert)

 Right now I'm working on a sermon about love, and particularly about not hating brothers and sisters in Christ. It's a more difficult message for me to prepare than it should be, for I have been far from perfect in this area. But since I preach verse-by-verse through books, I force myself to deal with subjects as they arise in the text. So here I am!

If you have a similar experience and background as I (25 years of work/ministry experience across four states, and many church positions), then you would know that not every transition was on the best of terms (or even my idea!). I'm just beginning to have cordial conversations with a former pastor over social media, but back when I served with him it got tense, and when I moved to another state and ministry position it was a major relief on all sides.

I'm hoping the same thing will begin to occur with a more recent situation, but I'm certain it won't. It was even more bitter. I still wonder sometimes if that pastor and other ministry leaders would rather I disappear from this Earth, that God would take me out of this life. They gave that treatment to another minister years before I moved there, a man I've come to respect and found to be godly. Those ministry leaders say he's despicable, but now I know they lied to me (not everything but enough was a lie). I wonder what they've said to my successor and if he now thinks I'm garbage?

I'm getting tired of hating people, and I'm tired of them hating me. I won't deny deserving the hatred though. Another Sunday with another hypocrite in the pulpit (and far from the only one).

Have Thine Own Way, Lord.

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