PRAYER MOMENT
Thursday 12 September 2013
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
Pause. Be still
before the Lord.
Reading. “I say
this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate
you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly.” (Luke 6:7-38)
Reflection. In
1976, in the worst time of apartheid in South Africa and while we were in the
midst of our struggle, Dr Manas Buthelezi came to visit our Justice and Peace
Commission. I remember him telling us of the effect it had of his jailers when
he literally told them, “do you know that I love you?” He took today’s reading as
it is and the officers were perplexed and embarrassed! In Jesus’ words today
there is a cascade of teaching on the theme of breaking down the barriers of
hate and oppression through love, prayer and forgiveness. He is telling us to
move beyond the normal. “If you (only) love those who love you, what thanks can
you expect?” Everyone does that. But you are to go beyond that, to break
thorough everything that separates us, one from another. Not easy, but the
heart of the gospel.
Prayer. Lord
Jesus, you love us and want all your people to be one. Help me to move beyond
the comfortable mutual relations of life to reach out to those I normally would
not like and would want to avoid. Help us all to break down the barriers that
separate us so that we may be one as you and the Father are one. Amen.
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