Murder horrifies us. We shudder at tyrants who butcher helpless people and at ethnic groups who slaughter each other. We shake our heads at news reports of murder on the streets and in some homes. We ask, "How could anyone do such things?" Meanwhile, the seed of murder may be lying right in our own hearts.

Hatred--the killer instinct--can involve rage or revenge or racism. On the other hand, it can also be a cool disregard for the well-being of others. An armed robber who kills someone doesn't necessarily have strong feelings against his victim; he just couldn't care less. A company that exposes workers to danger instead of paying for a safer work environment isn't angry at workers; it just doesn't care about them. Money matters more. A couple which aborts a baby doesn't have a grudge against the baby; they just care less about that baby than about themselves.

Hatred, whether hot and angry or cool and uncaring, comes down to this: "Am I my brother's keeper? When push comes to shove, my life matters more than his." This killer instinct makes us murderers in the way we think, and this murderous attitude may explode into deadly words and actions. The killer instinct brings death to relationships, death to other people, and finally, eternal death to anyone who remains in it. "Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him" (1 John 3:14-15).

PRAYER--Father God, you created us in your image, to love and be loved. Forgive our murderous, hateful indifference. Help us to respect and protect each precious person. In Christ, Amen.