Love Thy Enemy

Brothers and Sisters, Who are Loved By God...

Not only have I been pre-Christian in my life, I have been anti-Christian.  Christians I knew were some of the meanest people I'd ever known.  I saw the church as a place where hypocrits met and the Bible as a man-made buzz kill that wasn't more than a forgotten book in a hotel drawer (before I'd actually read it). I saw Christians as delusional, judgemental agenda-pushers who were no more than a big club of us-es and thems. (And, yes, Christians CAN be those things...but now I know they...we... also strive to fight those very things.)

I have been an enemy of the church, of the Bible and of God...but He loved me anyway. Even in my darkest days, God was in hot pursuit. He beckoned me with His love, blessed my life with miracles and  RAN to me with open arms when this prodigal daughter made her way home. (Luke 15:20) God blessed me WHILE I WAS HIS ENEMY.  God LIVES the example of what He calls us to do. Because of that, I have to ask myself, how do I not extend that kind of mercy and grace to someone else?

Two women come to mind as I think about "enemies" I need to love: one who is hostile toward Christians and one who has lost her belief that genuinely good people can come from a church. As I reflect on them, many things occur to me:
-They carry deep pain that has nothing to do with me.
- I can pray for their hearts to be softened, for someone to come alongside (if it can't be me), for their circumstances to change and for them to know the TRUE love and joy of Jesus.
- They don't have to participate in order for forgiveness to take place. There may never come a time when I will be able to go knee-to-knee with these women to let them know I'm sorry for any hurt I may have caused and I forgive them for any hurt they have caused me. I just have to know that's exactly what would take place if given the opportunity.

- Sometimes love isn't done in close proximity. With these relationships estranged from me and toxic when they're close, I am learning to love them from where I am. I can have good relationships with people who don't agree with me but not with people who hold me back or desire for me to be LESS.

I can love someone in their brokenness because it's what we have in common. I understand the origins of hostility, anger, bitterness, sadness, rejection and fear.  Compassion is the beginning of forgiveness and by extension, mercy and grace. I have been loved into knowing what true love is. I wish that upon my "enemies" too.