"Love your neighbor as you love yourself." - The Bible
You have all probably heard that line before. I, as a strong Christian, have always followed that. I cannot hate a single person. No one. Not even that boy in my class who annoys me so much. I just know he needs help and I respect that.
I don't hate that girl who dissed my outfit I wore in a recital once. I respect her opinion. I don't hate the girl I grew up with that moved on to new friends. I just have to move along. I don't hate a single person, as I said. It's rather simple to live a life like that. You just have to walk in their shoes.
I am not the type of person who was born without hatred. I used to say, "I hate blah blah blah!" But, something happened.
I somehow changed as a Christian some time in my late years in elementary school. But that's not what changed me all the way. At my school, they had Rachel's Challenge. One part hit me hard. The fact that Rachel's brother got in a fight with her right before school. It was the last time he saw her.
I know that she knew he loved her with all his heart, but it's still pretty heart-breaking. It hit me you never knew when something terrible will happen to someone, whether you get along with them or you don't. You probably don't want to see anyone get hurt.
After that day I was reading my Bible more and becoming a stronger Christian. I read that verse, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself," and totally understood it completely. It's unbelievable how that can happen. Just like that. It's beautiful.
So, please, just listen to this. "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." You never know when it will be the last time you see them, or if your hateful words finally hit them.
Thanks!
Editor's Note: For more information on Rachel's Challenge, check out http://www.rachelschallenge.org/
