Love and Hope Really Are Stronger than Hatred and Anger

I was deeply moved when I saw this New York Times photograph of Reverend Eric S.C. Manning of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the Tree of Life congregation holding each other. Manning lost nine parishioners in a racist shooting during evening bible study in 2015; Myers mourns 11 newly buried worshipers shot during Shabbat services. Looking at this image, I asked myself, “Are the virtues of love and hope really stronger than the hatred and anger that fueled both tragedies?”

At this time of deepening divisions and increasing tribal politics in the United States, where divisive, polarizing, and hateful language is all too common and sometimes leads to senseless violence, my answer is “yes”—an unqualified and resounding “yes.”

I have come to appreciate that while there are many strong emotions that affect our lives, no two are perpetually more powerful than love and hope. True love endures when outbursts of anger have long subsided, and hope for a better future can help quell dark frustrations that left unchecked may lead to loathing, rage, and violence. These two positive virtues also can rekindle passion and caring when indifference or neglect have sapped the human spirit. Yes, it is love and hope rather than hatred and anger that underpin the true essence of humanity, ultimately sustaining and nourishing us all.

Recognizing and accepting that my bygone days now outnumber my tomorrows, I increasingly find more comfort in virtues that unite us all rather than vitriolic and dishonest rhetoric that only serves to drive destructive wedges among us. Time is precious, no matter how much or how little of it we have left, and a day, hour, minute, or moment wasted dwelling in the depths of resentment and vengefulness can never be reclaimed. In addition, we are generally at our best when motivated and empowered by the collective strength of what is true, what is just, and what is possible, rather than by what is not.

Let us all remember the powerful image of Reverend Manning and Rabbi Myers consoling one another and deriving strength from each other’s shoulders at a time of immense sorrow. Let us also choose in our own way to support one another and reject those who promote the hatred and anger that only serve to weaken our homes and communities, and instead advocate for the inclusive power of love and hope that ultimately binds us all together.