Living Through The Cross "Loving-Kindness Toward Enemies" February 18, 2008

We easily ignore this teaching to love our enemies.   Instead, we feel disgust, anger, hatred or, a desire for revenge.   How often do you see family members on television ask for the execution of the killer of their loved one, in order to have closure on their grief?   Certainly society must control violent behavior and protect its citizens.   But our laws and methods of restraint will be more humane if we devise and apply them with this teaching of Jesus in mind.

In our everyday lives at work, at play, and even at church, there will always be thoughtless, rude, or unfair people who upset us.   If we are to follow Jesus’ teaching, we must hold them in positive regard, deal kindly with them, and pray for them.

As a discipline, try praying the following loving-kindness meditation that comes out of the Buddhist tradition.   Repeat it several times, substituting the names of others for “I.”   Don’t stop until you have prayed it for an “enemy” (for example, someone you don’t care for, a criminal or a terrorist):

Prayer: May I be safe and protected from all danger and harm; may I be happy and peaceful in heart and mind; may I be strong and healthy of body, and may I live with ease of well-being. Amen

Martha Hatt - University Place Christian, Enid

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