1 John 2:11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Hatred is a lack of love. In English, the word has a forceful connotation. But hatred can be passive, shown through neglect or rejection. John will use this word several more times in this letter (3:13, 15; 4:20). Hatred is the result of darkness. Walking in darkness produces hatred. The world is all about self. We have to fight for survival, position, and power. This fight often requires that we put others down or preserve the “goods” for ourselves instead of giving to those in need or building them up. This leads to emptiness and futility. This is the message of the book of Ecclesiastes. When we walk in the darkness, we do not know where we are going. We stumble and fall. We are easily led astray into troubles. We are deceived by the lures of immorality. This verse offers us a strong warning to avoid the darkness and the hatred that envelopes it.
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