1 post tagged “jesus”
A prominent world leader suggested that today, as we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. we ought to do something nice for someone...help someone in need. Ironically, this same world leader has muted the cries of a defiant country in crisis and a mourning generation of parents in our land and theirs. Oh, if MLK, Jr. was merely challenging America and indeed the world to "do something nice."
Now we can see what Jesus meant when he said, 'Love your enemies.' We should be happy that he did not say, 'Like your enemies.' It is almost impossible to like some people. "Like" is a sentimental and affectionate word. How can we be affectionate toward a person whose avowed aim is to crush our very being and place innumerable stumbling blocks in our path? How can we like a person who is threatening our children and bombing our homes? That is impossible. But Jesus recognized that love is greater than like. When Jesus bids us to love our enemies, he is speaking neither of eros or philia; he is speaking of agape, understanding and creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. Only by following this way and responding with this type of love are we able to be children of our Father in Heaven. Strength To Love, 52. MLK
These are not the words of a pudding headed idealist or revisionist historian. These are the words of someone who, while imperfect, saw the perfection and completion of redemptive grace and mercy in the Good News according to Jesus.
I tell my children that War is always wrong. I don't deny its existence or reality, but I deny its necessity. Whenever we affirm necessary evil, we throw ourselves headlong down the path of non resistance and further from the path of Jesus. Dr. King doesn't stop with a dramatic exegete of love in the face of hate, but goes on a bit deeper:
Let us move now from the practical how to the theoretical why: Why should we love our enemies? The first reason is fairly obvious. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. So when Jesus says "Love your enemies," he is setting forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition. Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies-or else? The chain reaction of evil-hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars-must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. Strength To Love, 53. MLK
It easy to forget that King penned these words over 40 years ago. Saddam was not yet invented and Osama couldn't spell CIA.
One day, these words will be irrelevant. One day, a dream will be reality. One day, we will bask in the rays of reconciliation, blinded by the light of redemption. This day will come...I know it will.
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