"Sometimes Jesus’ words are so familiar to us we stop noticing the whole of what he is saying. 'Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you' (Mt 5:44), is a pretty interesting adjuration. For one thing, this rabbi who demonstrated the fullness of unconditional love with his death on the cross is saying something that, on its surface, seems shockingly out-of-sync with the notion of Christian love: people will have enemies.
"We're advised not to, of course. Elsewhere in Scripture, Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Mt 22:37-40).
"But what if our neighbor is, kind of, an 'enemy' as well - someone
who we have learned to distrust, are happy to dislike because it feels
so righteous to do so?"
In a recent commentary, writer Elizabeth Scalia reflected on some of the effects of prayer for enemies/perceived enemies.
To access Ms. Scalia's complete post, please visit:
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