We had a bully in Junior High School. I'm a little reluctant to reveal his name for fear that maybe he's doing volunteer work for the American Red Cross today - or on the verge of discovering the cure for cancer - or the next astronaut to do a space walk - or some other extremely noteworthy humanitarian thing. I'll just give you his initials. They were ... Skeeter Benedict - I mean, S.B. I'm not making that up. And S.B.'s official junior high duty was to terrorize as many of us as he could in one day.
So when Jesus says to "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES," I think back to those days and wonder HOW that would have been possible. If Skeeter wasn't 'accidentally' pouring milk on your lap during lunch, he was hiding your shorts at gym or banging the chalk-filled eraser on your head in class.
So -- LOVE HIM? I don't think so.
Still - it's THERE. "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES." I'm looking at the words right now. It really says that.
I'm figuring what God had in mind was that we should try to see others the way HE sees them -- as people who MATTER to Him, just as we do. We don't have to approve of everything they do; we just have to remember that God's repsonse to OUR rebellion wasn't to declare war against us as His enemy. Instead, He returned GOOD for EVIL so the path could be paved for us to get back on good terms with Him. And THAT'S the kind of love God wants us to have for those who have crossed US.
Jesus seems to have prayed for His tormentors right while they were driving spikes thru His hands and feet: "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing." If the cruelty of crucifixion by Jesus' enemies couldn't silence His prayers for them, what pride or prejudice that WE experience could justify the silencing of OUR love and prayers for them?
I wish I could go back now and do some of that over again with S.B. I don't know how it would turn out exactly, but I'd like to TRY. 'Life gathers wisdom,' as they say, and I can't go back to junior high again. All I can do is go forward and apply what I know now. I wish Skeeter well. Love you, man.
1 comment:
Daddy! I got this link from mom this morning WHILE AT work, and I started to tear up. Just seeing your pictures, reading your words [did you know that I TOTALLY get my writing style from you; we're all about the dashes - you know what I mean :)]
It's fun to see you reference some of the TAYLOR "quirks" like Master of Disguise, and how you included WHITE CHRISTMAS (??!!) in your favortie movies just because mom makes us watch it at Christmas, and how APOLLO 13 was right up there - and that actually IS my favorite movie!
It's really nice as your daughter to have you do something like this that I can read and think of you. :) LOVE, WHIT
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