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Erika wrote:I think John Coblentz said it best when he wrote, " Love is a commitment to others to work through relationship tensions, (conflicts)". It is why a thinking person can identify hatred so easily.

I agree with Coblentz in the context in which he says this, that of a fellowship and family in which there are established mutual relationships.

I don't think he is including others/strangers who have no established relational commitment to you in a community or family context. In that instance I believe the concepts of mercy applies in which mercy is offered in the name of God and yet without enabling the destructive behavior of hatred.

I think we can make the effort for that is an ideal goal and as noted, Coblentz was writing about established relationships in fellowships and families.

Strangers are another matter entirely. There is a reality in Christian teachings that tells us there are individuals in the world with personality disorders who will not receive or accept our efforts and God's message. They have no established relationship with the disciple. They perseverate in manipulative, hostile, adversarial, argumentative even sociopathic/psychopathic behaviors.

In my 82 years I can also understand the Scripture that says there is a time to walk away and pray for these individuals' souls instead of enabling their behaviors and giving attention to them which encourages the misbehaviors. Prayer is powerful. The Holy Spirit will do the rest of the work.

Our mission is about introducing the Gospel message and living it; it's not about our own success in " scoring conversions" to which we can lay a claim. A good thread talking about this reality is here.

Then there is also the Scriptural mention of this reality in our discipleship: Matthew 10.