I ran across an antonym for the word love and immediately found myself thinking “Absolutely! That word covers it.” The word clearly defines for me the opposite of love.
I read a lot of articles and a lot of books. l listen to podcasts and watch a healthy amount of movies. In all four of these outlets, I am searching for a broad spectrum of our culture’s interest in love which is reflected through an individual’s or a groups’ response to the types of relationships many are pursuing today.
Why is this important to a Writer and a Pastor, let alone a Golfer? (I really hope the weather turns warm soon.)
At the beginning of the year I introduced this idea that BEING (who you are) should always overwhelm DOING (what you do).
This is true because this idea of being is what one needs in order to be. Most anyone can do; we get our marching orders and we go to work and we do what we’re told to do. Simple, in the sense that doing doesn’t create in us the depth of becoming who we were created to be. I hope I didn’t screw up this brief summation of do vs be. But, on we go…
OH! This is a grand place in my post to unveil that antonym for love. The word is – indifference. I would venture to guess that all of you have experienced this apathetic, lukewarm, disregarding “friend” during your life.
When we get serious about working on our BEING, there’s one thing God seems to slide into our life at some point on the journey; the “Indifferent Comrade” (IC). He challenges us. We encounter people on our path who are indifferent and challenge our new way of thinking…of being. You know it, I know it, Bob Dole knows it, the whole country knows it, right? (See SNL 35 years ago). I’m not into bashing the IC’s, but I am interested in writing more about why indifference seems to be growing in our country.
According to David Brooks, indifference is the result of Hyper-Individualism And hyper-individualism asks one critical question: “What can I do to make myself happy?” When it is in play, attention, awareness, desire, passion, and interest are all primarily focused ourselves – we become the Indifferent Comrade.
Does that sound like you at times? It sounds like me. I don’t like it, but from time to time I can get so into Mike that I become insensitive to others in need of love. Sometimes they gotta get love from someone else.
But, thank God, there is an answer to indifference. Next post we’ll look at the solution in Brooks’ book The Second Mountain. We’ve been led relationally before by this fascinating read. You’ll be thankful that Brother Brooks’ wisdom runs deep.
MC
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