November 26, 2014
Love Those Enemies
Police detectives on television
crime dramas always interview friends and co-workers of the murdered victim. More
often than not the interviewee reports that victim was well liked and, “didn’t
have an enemy in the word.” Most believers would love such sentiments written as
their epitaph. However from a spiritual perspective, I’m wondering if our
enemies are more valuable to us than our friends. “When a man’s ways are
pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him” (Proverbs
16:7 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----I decided I needed to read the Koran, since Islam is growing in popularity and filtering into all the world. Its attitudes towards Allah’s enemies are replete with morbid and grotesque, torturous imagery. Almost with the exception of only a few, every book in it must mention at least twice the chastisement of anyone who dares oppose this precious Allah. The Bible is a little hard on God’s detractors, too. But the attitudes each directs its followers to have towards the enemy are black and white. The Bible leaves it up to God to take care of the ghoulish work of disposing with the enemy. But it gives the duty to love them to the Christians.
-----To those who imbibe the “keep it simple, stupid” philosophy, I like to point out to whom the directive is made: to stupid. Things aren’t simple. They’re highly complicated. And as such, it is really difficult to expect any two people to achieve identical perceptions of anything. Almost always, enemies are made over different perceptions. Yet, different perceptions is hardly a reason to dismiss another person’s humanity.
-----Remembering that the other person has feelings in addition to disagreements helps set an issue’s elements aside from people’s personhood. To love someone is to do them right as estimated by the truth, long before it is about giggling with each other. The high power weapon of love is sacrifice. Not senseless sacrifice, but wise sacrifice. Most often, emotions begin to turn when something meaningful is offered to the enemy followed by a showing of respect for his issues. Except for those situations where an enemy is an enemy just because bad character, many times a little sacrifice will bring an enemy to not only a negotiating table, but also to a friendship table.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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