In one of her bigger hits, megastar Taylor Swift belted out,

‘Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play

And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate

Baby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

I shake it off, I shake it off (whoo-hoo-hoo) **

She likely knows something about the hate. Do a web search on “Taylor Swift haters” and look at the results. So what is it? Her music? Her success, in contrast to her talent? Maybe it’s Ms. Swift’s publicly stated positions on political issues. Or worst yet, her dating a Kansas City Chiefs player!

Make your own voice known, and build a case for your beliefs, and most likely you’ll appear to your opposition as “a hater.” If there was a “Hater of the Year” award, hard to tell who would win. Donald Trump would be on the list for sure. Probably his Vice President as well.

And more recently, the “outspoken conservative activist” Charlie Kirk. Unfounded, but true. Just look at the pronouncement of guilt laid on him by his assassin, Tyler Robinson. At only 22, Tyler was so angry at Kirk’s supposed “hate” that he took silencing his voice into his own hands.

A portion of Robinson’s texts to his love mate declared his reasoning for the act. Robinson explained,

“I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

Robinson apparently had no idea how sophisticated the resources of law enforcement have become.

I have my own list of “Hater of the Year” nominees. Many of them are in media. Several work for ABC News. One of them was an ABC talk personality who was recently cut loose from his nightly attacks on people like President Trump and Mr. Kirk. So long, Jimmy Kimmel. For now.

Then there’s Steven Colbert. He hated virtually anyone who would carry a conservative label. Even Chicago’s local “news reporters” taint their reporting so that those who would oppose the so-called “Pride Month” coverage these stations advocate are accused of being “haters.”

And then we have the “ICE haters.” Here we’re referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement team. That’s the government authorized group rounding up illegal operants living within our U.S. borders. More often than not, those who’ve crossed our borders illegally are conveniently referred to as “undocumented.”  Chicago has a penchant for recruiting protesters for just about anything. Currently, it’s ICE arrests.

Of course, there are the “religion haters.” They’ve been around a long time. A VERY long time. We so-called religious folk are dubbed joy killers. It’s us who keep trying to put up roadblocks to things like “gay marriage,” boys in girls’ locker rooms, revealing progressive errors in public education classrooms, and such. The kind of stuff Charlie Kirk stood for. And look where that got him!

Oddly enough, those who most frequently throw around the label of “hater” need only look in the mirror. As Tyler Robinson should have done. Or Jimmy Kimmel. Hate burned deep within them.

The Apostle Paul talked about “haters of God” in Romans 1. After all, he had once been a hater himself. (See Romans 1:28-32) Jesus warned His devoted followers,

“Everyone will hate you because of Me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:13, NIV)

If you struggle occasionally with hateful feelings (as I do), remind yourself of the words of 1 John 2:9:

“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.” (NIV)

The future for true haters is very dark. Particularly for those who hate the righteous. As the Psalmist tells us:

“Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:21, ESV)

Hate Is such a powerful and dangerous emotion. As we know, it can lead people to do highly regrettable acts. Hatred usually involves intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Ecclesiastes tells us there is “a time to love and a time to hate.” (Ecclesiastes 3:8, ESV)

And there is. But hate what? The late rock-musician-turned-Christ-follower Mylon Lefevre answers that question in a song: “Love God. Hate Sin.”

Nothing offends the Evil One more.

(** Shake it Off lyrics © Sony/atv Tree Publishing, Taylor Swift Music, Mxm Music Ab, Hifi Asset Acquisition Co Lp)