When Shall All Hatred Cease?
This month, my heart has been drawn again to the words of Lewis Hensley’s hymn: “When shall all hatred cease?” It is a question that feels as old as the prophets and as urgent as today’s headlines. We live in a world where hatred still wounds, divides, and destroys. And yet, as followers of Christ, we do not ask this question in despair, but in hope.
The prophets spoke of a day when nations would beat their swords into plowshares, and no one would learn way anymore (Micah 4: 3). The Apostle Paul proclaimed that Christ Himself “is our peace” and has broken down the wall of hostility between us (Ephesians 2: 14). And our Lord calls us to love even our enemies, so that hatred is transformed into reconciliation and peace (Matthew 5: 44).
We are invited to live into this vision not by our strength, but by God’s Spirit at work in us. Every act of forgiveness weakens hatred’s grip. Every word of kindness plants a seed of peace. Every bridge we build across division is a testimony that God’s kingdom is breaking into our world.
Beloved friends, hatred shall cease because Christ has already won the victory. The cross has declared that love is stronger than hate, life is stronger than death, and peace is God’s eternal promise. Until that day comes in fullness, we are called to be living previews of God’s kingdom, people of peace in a world of conflict, people of love in a word of division, people of hope in a word of despair.
So let us not grow weary. Where there is hatred, let us sow love. Where there is darkness, let us bear light. And where the world asks, “When shall all hatred cease?” may our lives point to the oNe who is our peace–Jesus the Christ.
Reflection Question
This week, where might God be calling you to replace hatred with love, bitterness with forgiveness, or division with reconciliation?
Prayer of St. Francis (Adapted from the GLORY TO GOD: THE PRESBYTERIAN HYMNAL) HYMN # 753)
Make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring your love. Where there is injury, your pardon, lord, and where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
Make me a channel of your peace. Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope. Where there is darkness only light, and where there’s sadness, ever joy.
Make me a channel of your peace. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, in giving of ourselves that we receive, and in dying that we’re born to eternal life.
O, master, grant that I may never seek so much to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love with all my soul.