It seems there is an emphasis today on the importance of tolerance within Community. Love goes beyond tolerance. Should there be a greater emphasis on the importance of Love within Community?
To tolerate is to allow without argument. Perhaps the thing being tolerated is not personally preferable or desirable, but it is tolerated, it is allowed in order to avoid confrontation or argument. There is no judgement made, or at least no judgement expressed when something is tolerated. Presumably, there is no great depth of emotion.
Love goes beyond tolerance. To love is to feel emotion for, to want the best for, to cherish. To love is to accept, to embrace, to care for. Love often involves confrontation, both joyful in celebration, and troubled when addressing wrongs perceived. Judgements are often made, but in true love they are expressed, and love grows stronger.
So what should we strive for in Community: tolerance or Love? There will always be people and things in Community that are unfamiliar, different, or inconsistent with how we choose to live our lives. Should our goal be to tolerate them or to Love them? Tolerance may be easier, since it does not involve investments of emotion or judgement. But Love is stronger and more meaningful, and seeks what is good and healthy for those cared about.
The opposite of tolerance is intolerance or rejection. The opposite of Love is hatred. Which is more reviled in today’s Community, intolerance or hatred? It seems that intolerance is universally decried, while hatred is accepted or expected for certain people and things but not others. Perhaps this is appropriate due to the greater power of Love and hatred. But here’s the puzzle … if we are to always be tolerant, how can we be allowed to be hateful?
Clearly tolerance within Community reduces conflict and makes room for many different people and ways of being. But Love takes it further. Love within Community leads to active engagement through the best of intentions. Perhaps some day soon our Community can seek to do more than just tolerate one another, but to Love one another as well.