Can we hate, too? | Paradise in Troubled Water |
I have corrections on my next book. That mostly causes panic, I've got to make changes in the next two weeks.
But also, I have a book coming out in December! When Did We See You? is a Lenten Reflection on poverty and wealth from Upper Room Books. As soon as I finish the edits I can go back to being excited about it.
-Liz
Love Your Enemies
I hate this commandment. I mean, I love that it's there. I love that Christianity is so countercultural in this way. I love the idea.
But damn. How do we actually do this?
It doesn't say agree with bad beliefs, or support the hatred that some people spew. It doesn't suggest that we must quiet about our beliefs, nor stop caring for our neighbors. We must find a way to love our enemies while standing up for what is right.
I will also argue that to love your enemy does not imply you must forgive them. I find our culture is big on forgiveness and "letting go" of the trauma others have caused you. I do not suggest that. Forgiveness is what people with power do for those with the same, or lessor, power. Once someone no longer has power over you you can begin a process for forgiveness if you choose. This is unrelated to loving your enemy.
I have no plan to forgive government leaders who are working hard to hurt others, or who refuse to take a stand to protect others. I certainly have no forgiveness for masked government employees rounding up people without due process. Their forgiveness is in God's power alone.
But these unforgiven people, and the hundreds of thousands of people that have little power, but chose this government, they are all people. All people are God's people. As God's children they are our siblings. As our siblings they are worthy of our love.
It's a radical assertion, that we all are created by, and loved by God.
With that comes the promise that we do not change the world by hating the people who hate. We don't teach respect for life with the death penalty. We don't express our religious views by expecting others to follow our religion. We don't teach generosity by holding on to what we have. We aren't supporting independence by insisting there is only one way forward. We can't create interdependence and an emphasis on the common good by leaving the hard people out of the discussion.
We do not change the world by hating the people who hate.
Thus we must figure out how to love people who hate. Love people who choose their own fear over care of others. Love people who don't try to protect others. Love people who choose silence in face of violence. Love people who can't, or won't, see the harm that is being done. And to love them up close, not only from afar. To actually interact with love.
On an individual basis, the first step to loving my enemies is simply to engage in conversation with them. Perhaps, at the start, not about the issues. But to refuse to cut people off, to figure out how to stay connected. And eventually to figure out how to listen, and hopefully (but not necessarily) getting a turn to share our view.
On a community basis, one way to show love of our enemies is to create places for dialogue. In a purple church, to set up structures to discuss the issues we all are mostly avoiding completely. Do this outside of worship, engage more moderate authors or speakers on the right and the left. Create a strategy where everyone gets time to talk, and everyone must spend time listening.
After you have practice, consider hosting talks in the wider community. Again, a very carefully defined structure is important.
I expect the biggest thing keeping us from loving our enemies up close is fear. We are afraid of physical violence, but also of language and ideas that are hurtful. Sticks and stone may break our bones, and words can really hurt us. I cannot promise the experience will not hurt. I can only insist that Jesus encourages us to be not afraid.
Jesus, the Christ, the anointed one, made the most remarkable decision of continuing into Jerusalem when the risk was death. Birth, teaching, resurrection, these are all foundational to our faith, but we wouldn't know any of it without the decision to keep standing up for the poor, the oppressed, and the stranger in the face of the ultimate risk. And he could only do that as someone who loved his enemies.
I can at least try to live up his model.
Have you been thinking about enemies? Do your church members who disagree with each other manage to talk about the topics? I'd love to hear what's happening where you are.
Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Executive Conference Minister, Southern New England Conference of the UCC offers his short reflection: Do we Get to Hate Those Who Seemingly Hate Us?
A song from 2016 by Cheryl Wheeler. Highly relevant today!
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