PRAYER MOMENT
Tuesday
17 June 2014
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
Pause. Be still
in the presence of God.
Reading: “You
have heard it said: you must love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say
to you; love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43-48)
Reflection. The
command, ‘love your enemies’, is so contrary to our way of thinking it seems to
be crazy. We look at Iraq and Syria, Kenya and even nearer home and ask what chance
has such a command got of being followed. Yet the “craziness” of the gospel can
break down barriers and bring peace. When the Christian world sent an army to
wrest the Holy Land from the Muslims in the early thirteenth century Francis of
Assisi was asked to go with them. But he did not play their game. He made his
way unarmed into the presence of the Sultan and addressed him as a brother. The
Sultan was deeply moved and recognised the hand of God in this gesture. If such
gestures happened in our day and became contagious, they would shake up our
world and open the door to fraternity among us.
Prayer. Lord, do
not let us brush aside your command to ‘love our enemies’. Help us to see where
it applies in our daily life so that we break down the barriers that separate us.
Amen..
David Harold-Barry SJ
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