March 14, 2022

Chaplain Tiann (T) Morgner

Loving Enemies ~ Luke 6:27–38

How can I love my enemy?  How can I love my enemy when my enemy has the blood of my brother on their hands?  It is hopeful to claim that we love our enemies as Jesus calls us to, we preach about it from lofty pulpits and share about it in intimate gatherings and yet, how do we love our enemy?  I think this first begs the question, who is our enemy?  Who is it that we cannot reconcile with, who is it that we are hostile towards, who do we oppose so violently that we cannot see them as neighbor therefore we give them the label of enemy?  We cannot love our enemy, because to love our enemy would mean that we no longer feel hostility, opposition, or violence towards them, so then what is Christ calling us to do?

We are called to see the face of our enemy, to gaze compassionately toward the other, the one we deem evil, and see their face, see their heart, see their humanity, see them as children of God.  It seems to me that this love Christ is calling us to is not a love of enemy, but a love that sees beyond the tyranny of labels to realize that we are all part of the same family, that we are all part of God’s beloved.  A love that tells us in God’s kingdom, in God’s family, there are no enemies. Let us lead with that in our hearts.

Reflection: What does it look like to lead from a place of love, especially when it comes to those we oppose?