Strong spirits: Love your enemies?
Really? In this world? At this time?
Who do you love? I hope all of us have someone that we love and who loves us. I hope we have many such: friends, parents, children, grandchildren, neighbors, colleagues. After all, we were created by Love, and created for love.
But Jesus has some crazy instructions for those of us who follow him... "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not stop him from taking your jacket. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:27-31)
Really? Is he serious? In this world? At this time? Yes! He's serious. This is the standard for any who would be his follower. The reason being, he does. He loves us all, even the ones we cannot stand.
If that seems impossible, it is... in our own strength. Only when we let him in, let him fill us with his love, let him love through us, can we possibly love those whom we have, until now, despised. The hope for our broken world is him and his love. Why not let him love the world through you?
