A love of one’s enemies allows people to live in a manner that transcends the misguided nature of hate.
The idea of loving one’s enemies allows a Christian to live in an enlightened way that reflects an awareness of factors such as misunderstandings, people’s differences, and the fact that enemies are still human beings.
As Christians bring Jesus’s teachings on enemies back to the attention of the public, some will ask why they should love their enemies. First, it should be kept in mind that this teaching is most often applicable to people from daily life and doesn’t mean that it would be okay to welcome an invading army into one’s country. The idea of loving one’s enemies allows a Christian to live in an enlightened way that reflects an awareness of factors such as misunderstandings, reasons for people’s differences, and the fact that enemies are still human beings.
For example, we know from personal experience that we haven't liked people because we didn’t know who they really were, and this was a misunderstanding. How many of us have also hated someone for a difference such as a political philosophy? How much time did we take to fairly consider their reasons? In cases where we even later came to embrace that philosophy, didn't we suddenly realize how mistaken we were about that person? A love of one’s enemies reflects these considerations from the start and allows people to live in a manner that transcends the misguided nature of hate.
In cases where a person is intentionally insulting us on a regular basis, Christians do need to find a way to talk with that person without being vengeful to settle the situation, and it takes love to do that as well. Worse situations require the intervention of managers or principals in daily life scenarios, for example, but loving one’s enemies in these circumstances still does not involve a vengeful attitude but instead a consideration of the problems, contexts, and other factors that shape a person’s misjudgments.
I strongly agree with that. As Christians, we are to be friendly and warm to everyone, not the opposite. No matter what their actions show, we need to talk our way to friendship and empathy. Everyone has their reasons and us being compassionate makes the world a better place. We need to remember God and spread love to everyone so that they feel the warmth of Christianity.
It doesn’t mean that we have to love our enemies the same way that we speak about “falling in love” with someone or the way we love our family members. It simply means we must open our hearts to them. And pray for them, too.
In my experience, it’s easier to agape someone you dislike (or who dislikes you) when you pray for them. Because when you pray for them, God often opens your heart to seeing people the way that God sees them, rather than the way you see them. And you can often have pity for people who may be filled with anger toward you.
Love your enemies? Easy to say, hard to follow. After reading this, I was hoping I could add some valuable insights from my perspective as well.
I’m not a Christian but my curiosity to read other religions led me to believe this verse in the Gospel, where Jesus tells us to love our enemies, turn the other cheek when we are slapped, and give all our clothes to the one who steals our tunic. How to hear such words and, more difficult still, to put them into practice? That’s what I wondered at first. I mean What's the point in loving your enemies? And first of all, who are our enemies? The enemy in the Bible is he who refuses…