This morning, I snuck out of the house while everyone was still asleep. My goal was to satisfy a buttermilk pancake craving I've had for the last three days, but my dilemma was which diner to go to. Ultimately, I decided to go to a diner where I knew a few guys met on Friday mornings to discuss the Bible over breakfast hoping to at least say hello. As I was leaving, one of the Brothers recognized me from a previous chance encounter and introduced me to the group. I shared some of my thoughts about theology, that no matter how sound it might be, it is wrong if it leads to the mistreatment of others. I was asked what I was going to be doing for Jesus today, and I said I was going to be blogging today about loving our enemies... so that brings me to a topic that has been on my mind for the last week or so...
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says to "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven" and then follows up with the rhetorical question; "Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you?" This is so different from what we are seeing right now in our hyper-polarized Nation where tribalism and revenge politics rule the day.
If we are truly Children of God, then we cannot participate in the hatred of those whom we disagree with. No matter how right you think your cause is or how evil you believe the other side might be there is no room for hatred in the heart of someone who calls themself a Christian. We are called to a higher love, we must see everyone as precious in the eyes of God. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect no matter how strongly we disagree with them. We are all entitled to our own opinions and with that we are all entitled to be wrong - but we are also entrusted with the care of our fellow human beings.
"The one major thing you have to remember is that the man next to you is your brother, and you'd damn well better treat each other that way because if you don't, then we blow the whole thing, but we've got it right there." (Announcement from "Chip" Monck, Woodstock 1969)
Our politics may be "Right" or "Left" or somewhere in the middle but first and foremost we are God's children and therefore Brothers and Sisters in God's eyes.
“But I tell you who hear me:
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you,
and pray for those who mistreat you."
~Jesus (Luke 27-28)
Peace, Love and Light!
Kevin (Cloud)
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