The Daily Blade: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson

Episode #167 – Kyle Thompson // A Time to Love, and a Time to Hate
Date: August 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson focus on the biblical wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, zeroing in on the phrase “a time to love, and a time to hate.” They explore the Christian imperative to rightly understand and apply genuine love and righteous hate in a culture that often blurs or cheapens these concepts. The discussion is packed with scriptural references, practical examples, and a challenge to listeners to align their hearts with what both God loves and hates.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Seasons of Life (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

• [00:20] Kyle Thompson reads the classic passage from Ecclesiastes, highlighting its poetic list of contrasts found in human experience.
• He notes the deliberate pairings (weep/laugh, mourn/dance, etc.), spotlighting the "love/hate" dichotomy as the most striking.
• “So as is true with the entire passage that we're looking at in Ecclesiastes, there is a juxtaposition with each line. So the words are different sides of the same coin...” (Kyle Thompson, 00:25)

2. Cultural Abuse of 'Love' and 'Hate'

• Kyle laments the loss of depth in how society uses the terms love and hate. He observes that they’re thrown around freely (“I love this pizza,” “I hate that band”), and that secular culture preaches “love” without true biblical understanding.
• “In a lot of ways, we've lost the appropriate categories for love and hate because culture has co-opted those words from God and because we use them cheaply, right?” (Kyle Thompson, 01:30)

3. Biblical Standards for Love and Hate

• Christians are called to think and act rightly regarding love and hate, rooting both in God’s character and commands.
• Referencing Romans 12:9: “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”
• “Because in order to be a true follower of God, we must love what God loves and hate what God hates.” (Kyle Thompson, 01:55)

4. What Genuine Love Looks Like

• Drawing from 1 John 4, Kyle points out that love is from God, and real love was shown in God sending His Son.
• He emphasizes Jesus’s words in Matthew 22:36-40 about the greatest commandment: loving God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind, and loving your neighbor as yourself.
• “And specifically we are supposed to love. And how are we supposed to love and to what level?” (Kyle Thompson, 03:15)

5. A Righteous Place for Hate

• Kyle unpacks “abhor what is evil” (Romans 12:9) and Psalm 97:10: “Oh, you who love the Lord, hate evil.”
• He clarifies this isn’t about personal malice, but a righteous hatred generated by being aligned with God’s heart.
• “This is not personal malice… This is righteous hate that is generated inside of us because we have aligned our love and our hate to what God loves and hates.” (Kyle Thompson, 04:25)

6. Practical Application: Love and Hate in Daily Life

• True love means loving neighbors while also hating the evil they may do, especially if it brings harm.
• He gives concrete examples: loving chastity and fidelity, hating promiscuity and blasphemy, loving faith in Christ.
• “There is a time to love and a time to hate. We must be ready for both.” (Kyle Thompson, 05:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We've lost the appropriate categories for love and hate because culture has co-opted those words from God and because we use them cheaply.” – Kyle Thompson [01:30]
• “In order to be a true follower of God, we must love what God loves and hate what God hates.” – Kyle Thompson [01:55]
• “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” – (Romans 12:9, quoted by Kyle Thompson) [02:08]
• “This is not personal malice… This is righteous hate that is generated inside of us because we have aligned our love and our hate to what God loves and hates.” – Kyle Thompson [04:25]
• “There is a time to love and a time to hate. We must be ready for both.” – Kyle Thompson [05:20]

Important Timestamps

• 00:20 – Reading of Ecclesiastes 3 and focus on “a time to love, and a time to hate”
• 01:30 – Commentary on how society misunderstands love and hate
• 02:08 – Romans 12:9 and the biblical call to abhor evil
• 03:00–04:00 – Scriptural backing for genuine love (1 John 4; Matthew 22)
• 04:10 – Exploring what it means to “hate evil” as a Christian
• 05:20 – Concluding challenge: Be prepared to love and to hate in ways God commands

Tone & Takeaways

With clear, biblically anchored teaching and direct language, the hosts urge Christian men to recover the depth and force of what “love” and “hate” really mean in God’s economy—challenging listeners to align both emotions with God’s standards, not the world’s. The episode is a call to spiritual sobriety and courage in everyday life.

If you’re looking for a practical, scriptural roadmap for living out love and hate as God defines them, this episode delivers with clarity and conviction.