Love Thy Enemy?!

Sunday's homily at our church was on the gospel lesson of "loving your enemy" and our priest made me think a bit more on this concept. He asked how many of us go around saying "I have no enemies"? How many of us go around and say we get along with so and so, and if there's any issues with them that we do not confront it and just go on with life? How many of us deny the existence of our enemies because we think we are doing the right thing then?

Jesus said, "love your enemy." It is difficult to love our enemies and do as Jesus commands in the scripture if our enemy doesn't exist in our minds. Jesus did not command us to change our enemies into our friends. In life we will have enemies, and we cannot change our enemies into our friends. They will be our enemies, and we have to accept that. Not change it.

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.'
"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
"If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" (Matthew 5:43-47)

In effect, to change our relationship with our enemies to think they are friends is to change our view of our enemy just in our own mind. It seems this type of conversion is not what Jesus had in mind. No, the more I consider these thoughts the more I believe that I have been fooling myself in many situations and in the end becoming a victim because I had changed the relationship with an enemy in my mind to a friend and making myself more vulnerable to them.

Enemies are enemies, and likely will not make a conversion to a friend, regardless how kind and courteous we are to them. And we should not beat ourselves up because they have not given any kindness in return, because it is not love that is the issue. It is the lack of love in our enemies that created them, and until they decide to truly accept it and share it, they will not have it.

We must be constantly at guard with our enemies, even if they show gestures of friendship. That is the point we are most vulnerable and the point where their enemy colors can shine. I, myself, have learned this the hard way. I now know that when I spot an enemy in my midst that I love my enemy, and accept them as my enemy.

The final word: An enemy is not a friend. Ever. Love your enemy.