Ever since I've moved to Phoenix from L.A. I have noticed a huge amount of Laker hating taking place in the "valley of the sun". I guess it's just on of those things. Phoenix is supposed to be "Planet Orange", but whenever the Lakers come to town purple & gold seems to invade. The funny thing is that in my 18 years of growing up in the Los Angeles area I never heard of anybody hating on the Suns. You see contrary to popular belief Laker fans out here in Phoenix don't hate the Suns. We really don't! We even root for them at times, that's of course when they're not facing the Lakers. The only team true Laker fans hate are the Celtics. The Celtics in the minds of us Laker fans is synonymous with evil. I guess that's why today on St. Patricks day I refuse to were green (you can say it's against my convictions). So Suns fans chill out! Your hating for no reason at all. Or is it that human nature of ours that likes to hate for no reason. Or maybe it's that sometimes we tend to hate a champion (ooh, I know that one hurt).
Why is it that we hate for no reason at all? Out of nowhere we'll say "I don't like that person"! Then when we're asked why we say something like "I don't know what it is, there's just something about that person I don't like"! When all along we don't even know the person we're hating. Why do we do this?!
When Jesus came he gave us a new law. He said in John 13: 34-35 "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as i have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another". Instead of this though our human nature just "loves to hate". Now I know right about now someone is probably saying "how did we jump from the Lakers to the Bible? Just bare with me a quick minute & let me explain whats on my heart.
Hate could be found in something as simple as a fan rivalry or something as serious as gang violence, & it could even be present within some of us that sit in a church pew on a Sunday morning (if you put Rev. in front of your name I'm talking to you too). Whatever the case we must be careful. Out there in the world they don't know any better, but within the house of God there is no place for it!
What happens though when someone in the church does you wrong? You got a good point there. The only problem is the hate we're directing toward someone that's done us wrong is most of the time they're not even phased by it. You would be better off giving them a piece of the 5 fold ministry if you know what I mean (if you don't take your hand and make a fist). No just kidding, but on the serious side the bible teaches us the one affected the most from hate is the one that's dishing it out. 1 John 3: 15 reads "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him". You see the way God looks at this is how can we hate & not forgive someone for offending or hurting us when we were doing the same thing to God before he saved us. Check out this verse I know your going to like it Romans 5: 8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us". We cannot direct our hate toward another human being (that's of course unless he's Larry Bird or some other Celtic player). According to Psalms 97: 10 the only thing were directed to hate is evil. So lets not hate each other, God will hold us accountable. Let God deal with the person who's wronged you. Believe me He knows how to handle them the right way. Now on the other hand if your hating your brother just because he's been blessed or holds some sort of position or title that you desire. All I'm going to say about that is "PLEASE GROW UP"!
Now before I bring this to an end, Suns fans stop hating on the Lakers. If there's anyone you should hate it would be the San Antonio Spurs. Remember that Tim Duncan 3 pointer or when Robert Horry took out Steve Nash back in '07. Hey even I got mad at that one. And if by any chance a Celtic fan found his way to this blog don't get mad the next time you get run out of the Staple Center. It's just that we don't accept evil in our house. Neither should we as the church!
