I hate.  I love.  I hate.

I hate that I both love and hate.

How can I ever claim to love if I ever once hated?

I love community.  But I hate!

How could I have ever experienced, or hope to experience, community if I ever once hated?

I hate those who hate — those wrecking balls of community.

Ironically, then, I hate myself — a hater, a wrecking ball.

How could a community ever have loved me, or possibly love me, because I once hated?

Could a community love me, my hatred included?

Could I love them in return, my hatred included?

I would love them.

I would love me.

They would love me.

We would love we, our hatred included.

I would love that.

This piece was an assignment for the class ‘Essential Community’ taught by Drs. Dwight Friesen and Christie Lynk. Students were tasked with writing for 10 minutes about their ‘confession and hope for community.’

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Isaac Unseth is a 2nd year M.Div. student who grew up in Plato, MN (population: 350).  He enjoys hosting friends for meals and hiking…alone.  Isaac recently lived in intentional community with his peers for the first time and learned a lot (i.e.  moved out disillusioned, spent, and sad).  But he is following the in-explorable call again, currently living with a married couple considerably older than he.