Children/Communications Pastor
I thought I'd add a few thoughts to the earlier post on love. Lately, I've been re-reading Leif Enger's Peace Like A River. I really can't recommend it enough. It's one of those rare books that as the pages turn and you approach the end you can't help but feel a little bittersweet; you don't want the end to come!
Well, here's the passage that struck me when I was thinking about this call we've been given by Jesus to love. It's from the point of view of Reuben Land, the narrator and a young boy. He says:
"I hadn't any comment to this, but felt myself opposite to the Lord in some way, which was worrisome."
Dad asked, "You remember what the Lord said about enemies?"
In fact I did remember some passages about enemies. Once, sick of whiners, the Lord caused the earth to crack open like an old bun and a crowd of them fell right in. And how about the prophet Elijah, slaughtering four hundred priests of Baal in one afternoon? Then there were the twisted fellows of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the time before that when God killed pretty much everyone in the world except Noah's family. The Old Testament, boy, it suited me.
"Love your enemies," Dad said. "Pray for those who persecute you."
He would pick those verses.
Alright, let me be honest here for a minute. I really can't think of any enemies in my life. I did take a pencil once and stand it up under my friend as he sat down in his chair with great velocity. Blood flowed, war was declared, but we're still friends. I did have several "scuffles" with another friend growing up, but we still care about each other. Oh, and there was that one instance when I fired a spudzooka over the dunes and knocked my Mother clear across the deck. But I wasn't disowned even then.
There are those who, however, occasionally might get on my nerves (as I'm sure I get on theirs). You know the kind of person; you're never on the same page, you just don't click, and generally you have an opposite personality type. There are also those who cut in front of you on the highway, cut in front of you in the line at Bojangles, and cut in front of you at the Doctor's office. Uh-oh, I'm sensing a theme here. In college there were those who would ask incredibly in depth questions of the professor right before the clock would measure the ending of the class. I would sit and stew and think evil thoughts.
They're not even my enemies and I'm called to love those people? Take it a step further, if they're followers of Jesus, they're called to love an egotistical miscreant like me?
No wonder the disciples told Jesus some of his teachings were hard for them to accept.
To love those who annoy you, mistreat you, irritate you, hate you and persecute you. To be loved by those whom I annoy, mistreat, and irritate. This is our call. To forgive those who do you wrong. To let it go. It ain't easy, but it is the Way of Jesus! And if I'm going to follow hard after the heart of God it's something I had best get used to!
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