Love your enemies. Can you do it?
By Xavier Bage
@franxav (13653)
India
May 13, 2023 10:28am CST
You have heard, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemies ' but I tell you that you should love your enemies and pray for them who persecute you..."
Perhaps you all know whose words these are. This revolutionary teaching is found in the holy gospel written by Matthew, (5:43-45).
Do you have enemies? How do you deal with them? Do you wish they were not there? Do you wish to eliminate them?
I do have some enemies near me. They hate me. They revile me. They speak ill of me. They will not think twice before harming me! However, I am fine as long as I have a magic spell to bind their ill will.
What is my attitude towards them? I wish they were not my enemies. I wish to live with them peacefully but they think I am their enemy. They are capable of harming me hugely but I have a magic spell that binds them. And so , I am safe as long as my magic spell works!
Do you have enemies around you? What is your behaviour to them?
6 people like this
6 responses
@Treborika (17400)
• Mombasa, Kenya
13 May 23
As far as I am concerned every person is deemed to have both friends and enemies. However we are being taught by the Bible to love our neighbours more than we love ourselves. It's very difficult to however love those people that offend you as human beings. But we only live by the grace of the lord.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
13 May 23
I have annoyances... I normally ignore them. That makes them try harder to annoy me. 
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
14 May 23
@franxav Yes, that's true... While I was growing up, the brother just older than me LOVED to annoy me. I'd be sitting in a corner, reading a book and he'd take the book away from me just to hear me yell for mom to make him give me my book back... He'd tell her he only wanted to look at it... She'd tell him to give it back and leave me alone... A little while later, he'd take the book away again. I'd have to go sit where ever mom was just so he couldn't bother me.
He was a year and a half older than me but twice my size. I couldn't take the book back without him destroying it. Back then, those were books I borrowed from the library. I had to pay for one that he destroyed.... I didn't want to pay for more of them.
@zainkhan121 (835)
• Pakistan
13 May 23
The teaching you mentioned is indeed revolutionary and profound. It challenges us to love and pray for those who harm us, which can be a difficult task. It takes strength and courage to show compassion and kindness to those who are unkind to us.
I am sorry to hear that you have enemies who hate and revile you. It must be a challenging situation to be in. While having a magic spell to bind their ill will may provide some sense of security, it's important to remember that hate begets hate.
Perhaps there is a way to address the root of the problem and work towards a peaceful resolution. It's worth considering reaching out to your enemies with compassion and a willingness to listen and understand their perspective. This may not always be possible or successful, but it's a step towards creating a more peaceful world.
1 person likes this
@franxav (13653)
• India
14 May 23
I agree fully with your " reaching out" steps. Though they think I am their enemy I reach out to them with compassion whenever I get an opportunity. And the magic spell is nothing but my prayer for them.
