Love your enemies- a Christmas Miracle.

I was challenged today about loving my enemies. This isnt something I think about often- mostly because I like to think that I dont really have any enemies. But today it challenged me. Its challenging because its not something that comes naturally or easy- to love those who do wrong by me.

But Jesus said to love our enemies.

He said to pray for those who persecute you.

He said to bless and do not curse. (But it is so much easier to curse!)

He said that we should conquor evil with love- with an unyeilding and uncompromising love. With a love that smiles and radiates joy to whoever we meet; even if those we are meeting are rearing at us in anger and hatered, we should still love them. This is a love that is almost uncomprehensable to me. I actually can't believe it because its so unreal- and its humbling; because I see people all the time who I don't want to love. People who look funny or treat me badly or are just unappealing, or who have hurt someone I love or who have hurt ME. I meet people who just want something from me that I don't want to give and the last thing I want to give them is love. And I see evil in so many measures- against the poor and the opressed and against ME.

But this is something beautiful: Its that Christ didn't die for the 'healthy'- He died for the sick. He died for those who WERE rearing in hatred and anger to him- for the ones who wanted to kill him because of his love, for the ones who put the crown of thorns on his head. "Christ died for the ungodly- very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone migh possibly dare to die." But this is the miricale of Christ: That he died for the ones who put him on the cross- and that is the humbling part, because I know that includes me. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" And so I am always left standing amazed.

I want to be like Jesus. I want to have this kind of love. I want to turn to the ones who hurt me and give them the biggest hug in the world because of the love God gives me for them.

Because what can evil say to love? It can say nothing. Its like a boomerang of unexpectedness right in evil's face. This is something beautiful- it could bring the whole world to its knees.