ENEMA

We had a bully in Junior High School.  I'm a little reluctant to reveal his name for fear that maybe he's doing volunteer work for the American Red Cross today or on the verge of discovering the cure for cancer.

I'll just give you his initials.  Ready?  They are ... Scooter Benedict.  I'm not making that up. S.B.'s official junior high self-imposed duty was to terrorize as many of us as he could in one day.  He was something like 3-foot-2 and I was 6 feet tall by that time, but I’m not bitter.

So when Jesus says to "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES," I think back to those days and wonder how that might have been possible in Skeeter’s case.  If he wasn't 'accidentally' pouring milk on your lap during lunch, he was hiding your shorts at gym or banging the chalk-filled eraser on your head during class when the teacher had her back turned.  

So -- LOVE?  Hmmm.  I’m not sure.

Still - there it is - in black-and-white.  "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES."  I'm looking at the words right now - and blinking - making sure it doesn’t say ‘Love your enemas’ instead.  That would make a lot more sense to me, given the situation.  But no.  It really says “Love your enemies.”  I’ve checked in multiple translations and paraphrases.  It never changes.

What God had in mind was that we should try to see others the way He sees them -- as people who matter to Him - as people born IMAGO DEI, in His image - as people He died for, just like He did for you and me.

God's response to our rebellion wasn't to declare war against us as an enemy.  Instead, He returned good for evil so the path could be paved for us to get back on good terms with Him even though we had seriously crossed Him.  That’s the kind of love God wants us to have for those who have crossed us.

Jesus seems to have prayed for His tormentors even at the moment they were driving spikes thru His hands:  "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they're doing."  If the cruelty of crucifixion by Jesus' enemies couldn't silence His prayers for them, what pride or prejudice that we experience could justify the silencing of our love and prayers for others? 

I wish I could go back and do some of that over with S.B.  I think it might turn out differently now.  'Life gathers wisdom,' as they say.  But I can't go back.  All I can do is live out what I know now.

I wish Scooter well.  ‘You’re my favorite enema, bro.’  Love you, man.