LOVE THY ENEMY

To 'love thy enemy' is probably the hardest thing about being Christian--but it's also the most important.

And it's something that I think about every day… On our street we are friends (or friendly) with most of our neighbours, but a couple houses down live some known drug dealers. Sometimes I think they should install a drive-thru window, with all the customers they get coming up to the house.

I often wonder: What would Jesus Do? I imagine him going over for a fireside chat, working a couple miracles… I don’t know, but personally I havent been able to do anything but avoid eye contact.

But we all have people like that in our lives, people who seem flat-out irreconcilable.

However if we look closely at what Jesus is calling us to do, he is not saying we must have 100% outcomes all the time. It's not a call for perfect results in all situations. It's simply a call to love.

And when you break it down, love starts with a fundamental concern for another's well-being.

So in the case with my neighbours, What are my intentions? I admit, mostly I wish Clint Eastwood also lived on our street and would execute some vigilante justice a la Gran Torino. But do I love them in the sense that I hope and pray for them to turn their lives around? For them to find the peace and healing of Christ?

That's the big question we must all take into prayer. But that's where loving our enemy starts; in our intentions, in our heart of hearts.

So don’t be overwhelmed if it seems impossible. Just take those first steps of prayerfully examining your intentions, and God will be sure to meet you half way.