Hugs Over Hate

By Kaley Thompson

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

With an upcoming election, shootings and terrorist attacks occurring across the globe, Americans seem to be circulating a lot of opinions and hate. 

However, one guy by the name of Ken Nwadike is taking Dr. King’s advice very seriously through his “Free Hugs Project.” Instead of putting hate back out into the world, he’s combating the negativity with hugs. 

“The way we’re really going to find peace is to spread love,”  Nwadike says in one of his recent YouTube videos. It closes with him holding up a sign that reads, “Love is power."

Imagine what would happen if we all started giving out hugs instead of hate.  We would embrace our differences. We would toss out "I love you's" like a drunk millionaire tosses out hundred-dollar bills on the way to his limo. We would start a movement of offering audacious hope for a hurting world in need of healing.

When evil spills out into the world around you, remember it’s not the repetition of bad that will clean up the mess.  It’s when we choose to give out hugs, love big and create light that we begin to overpower darkness and put the world back together again. 

"Love is power." 

Want to find out other ways you can make a big impact with little actions of love? Pre-order “People of the Second Chance: A Guide To Bringing Life-Saving Love To The World."

Kaley Thompson is the chief storyteller at People of the Second Chance. She lives in Charlotte, NC and wears a sparkly motorcycle helmet.