Did Jesus Really Mean That?

Why couldn’t Jesus have just said that I should ignore the people I hate or disagree with like my mom used to tell me? “Just ignore him” became my mom’s mantra every time one of my brothers picked on me. Admittedly, it never worked. 

This Lent, I’m trying something new. I’m praying to see those I find difficult to love as God sees them. I can’t say that it affects immediate change in me. In fact, I think that it’s a process and applies to one person at a time. It does tend to slow down my judgment of others. It helps me to bend toward compassion.

My desire to see others as God sees them is not foolproof by any means. There are people who cause great harm or spread division and hatred so readily without any concern for the welfare of others. When someone victimizes the most vulnerable, causing suffering, I am not readily volunteering to love that person. When Jesus says, “Love your enemies,” I wonder how I can do that at all.

I don’t think Jesus meant that we had to like or agree with our enemies. He did say that we must love them. As I believe that every person is beloved by God, it is possible to love my enemies, but only from a wellspring of God’s love. It is only by receiving God’s grace and allowing God to change the lens through which I see others can I attempt to love. The remarkable thing is that we can pray for that. 

And I’ve learned that my desire to see others as God sees them actually comes from God. That’s mind-boggling! What’s the desire of your heart?