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It was perhaps Jesus' insistence that we "love our enemies and pray for our persecutors" which more than almost any other aspect of His teaching got Him into hot water. How could this make any sense? What was He thinking? Jews love the Roman occupying forces and corrupt governor like Pontius Pilate? Besides, it's comfortable to give ourselves permission to hate, or shun or gossip or otherwise distance ourselves from our "enemies."
And it's even more comfortable to figure we do it with God's sanction, figuring that "God is on our side." But when it comes to the human family - all children of God - God doesn't take sides! God wills good for us all!
Jesus teaches us: "Love your enemies; pray for your persecutors. In this way you show that you are children of your Heavenly Father Who makes the sun to rise on the good and the bad, and rains on the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5:44-45.) And formed by Christ’s Spirit, our own motto/parish song here at Lourdes compels us toward this love of 'enemy', since we say: "All are welcome; all are needin this place!" There are no exceptions, right?
In my own life there are folks with whom I struggle to be at peace; maybe in yours too? Perhaps it's a difference of opinion, or a hurt or fight or unresolved conflict. Maybe their behaviors seem to run roughshod over our "core" values and ideals? And I'm not naive enough to think that everyone's always at peace with me either. There are cold shoulders I can feel; curious conversations which stop if I walk into a place unexpected.
Bringing my failures around the "love of enemy" to confession regularly over the years I've gotten lots of advice: "Don't judge, Tim. You never know what's going on inside a person"; or "Everyone's here for a reason and a purpose"; or "Try praying for your 'enemy' - that will make it hard to stay mad at them." It's a great advice from compassionate confessors. One even quipped one time:"He drives me nuts too!" That's probably consoling but not so helpful.
Over recent months I've come to a new insight - another way of seeing all this - which makes sense to me. It's not any other human being who is my "enemy." I'm coming to think that there's only one enemy - satan, the devil - call him what you will. It's just one enemy of God and of us - working in various and devious ways to do harm, to draw us away from Christ and to put wedges between and among us as human persons and believers in the Church.
Maybe sometimes he has control of another person in a way that sets the stage for me to be hurt, scandalized or become angry or feel insulted? And maybe sometimes, that "one enemy" has control of me by way of envy, jealousy, anger, being judgmental or self-centered so that I hurt others?
I don't just mean: "The devil made me do it," as Flip Wilson quipped in the 1970's; that's irresponsible. But we do have discretion and free will. Sometimes we cooperate with God's grace; sometimes with another, darker force. And sometimes we keep up the struggle; other times we don't bother to offer the effort, throwing in the towel.
But when I can allow it to be the "evil one" in another causing a behavior, then I can more likely pray for the other with love - that he or she be set free from any influence, any power satan may have over him/her. I can ask in the Name of Jesus Christ, that any influence or sway that the evil one has over my words, thoughts and deeds be cast out--Jesus'' ultimate victory. Instead of demonizing other people, I can rightly recognize the power of the evil one controlling them, me, or us - and rely on Christ to be victorious in this ongoing battle - for me and for the other person on the battlefield of human relationships.
Specifically I have found that in the context of the Norbertine brotherhood this understanding has given me peace, compassion and power to be a better brother to my Norbertine brothers (at least within my heart and prayer). I think that's because when you see the enemy better and "crack the code" to understand his devious, subtle strategy coming out of your blind spots, misusing goodness to draw us toward bad then you have more power to defend yourself successfully.
As time goes by I'm glad that Jesus insists we love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. When they do wrong things to me, they need my prayer to be free from satan's control; same for me when the shoe is on the other foot. And no brotherhood or sisterhood, no marriage or family or parish family could be kept together if we're quick to make enemies out of each other. That just gives "the one enemy" a more clever disguise to go on with his destructive work undetected!
Yup - one enemy - the devil. In all his words, works and evil motives, may Jesus Christ cast him out from each of us and all of us, so that we can walk together in faith "one in mind and heart on our way home to God!" Having already won the victory in Jesus, and safe from that singular enemy, we pray "God bless us EVERY one!" |
