“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” – 1 John 2:15 

“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” – John 15:19 

Yesterday (Tuesday Oct 10, 2023), a 60-year-old co-worker I’ve known for years…she’s someone I enjoy teasing and is almost like a mother figure to me. She said, “Rock, you’re so contradicting. You’re supposed to be this Christian, but it seems like you really don’t like people.” 

She said this upon hearing how I am in my boxing class. I pick the heavy bag that’s away from everyone else with my back turned to others so it’s easier for me to focus and not worry about what everyone else is doing. She also knows that I don’t like crowds or social events where all you do is just socialize.  

I explained, “I love and care about people as Christ tells us, but…it’s not that I hate people. It’s just disappointing. It’d be like if my brother was a thief who robs and steals. I still love my brother, but I’d be disappointed with him. It’d probably bother me if I hung out with him and all he did was brag about his things…things I know he bought with stolen money.”