The Opposite Of Love Is Not Hate

Laura Clark Barefoot, Ph.D.
Barefoot Chaplain Intervention Services
December 27, 2015

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were able to go to sleep tonight and wake in the morning with all of our fears removed – every single one? Ponder the thought for a minute. How different would your life be? Nothing would stop you from following your dreams, your ambitions, your deepest desires.
Anxiety, joy, hate, elation are just a few of the words used to express the multitude of emotions each of us experience during our lifetimes. But, in reality, there are only two emotions: love and fear. Easily categorized, all positive emotions fall into the place of love, while negative emotions are fear based. At the core of our beings flow happiness, peace, joy, and contentment; from fear, anger, hatred, anxiety, and guilt.
We are unable to feel these two primary emotions simultaneously. They are opposites. When we fear, we are not experiencing love. When we are in a place of love, we cannot be in a place of fear. Try and remember when you were in a state of both love and fear. It’s impossible.
Every moment of our lives, we are offered the choice to exist in one or the other. There are challenging circumstances when our commitment to love, rather than fear, is shaken or interrupted. There is no neutrality. You either chose one or the other.
Because you chose love, doesn’t mean you will never fear again. Rather, many of our fears will rear their ugly heads and present themselves to finally be healed. This is an ongoing process. Continually choosing to act, think, and feel love in order to feed our souls is something we need to nourish ourselves. As we nourish ourselves, we are offered the chance to drive away hunger.