A Call for Peace and Compassion | holloway64's Blog

Season of Love?

At this time when we are celebrating holidays dedicated to peace and the love of humankind, and wars rage around the globe, it is a good time to ponder the word Jesus said to his fellow Jews over two thousand years ago.  

Jesus said: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that spitefully use you, and persecute you.  He also said even the heathen loves those who loves them.  These words are supposed to be kept alive by the Christian who follow his teaching. How are we keeping his teachings alive?  Is it by enhanced interview techniques, known as torture by it real name, by drones dropping bombs in populated areas,  by black prisons, or by rendition, out sourcing or torture to other countries that are all too willing to do our dirty work?  Is this how we keep his words alive?  

Isn’t Jesus challenging us to accept a higher calling.  It’s the most natural thing in the world to hate somebody who hates and mistreats you.  It’s the most natural thing to want harm to come to that person, to take pleasure from his defeats.  So Jesus has challenged us to go beyond our basic instincts and follow a higher calling.  He wants us to recognize the humanity of our enemy and to respect it, and to behave ethically towards him knowing we will not receive the same treatment in return. Jesus sees that our humanity is dependent on us recognizing everyone else’s humanity, friend or foe.  He is challenging us to refrain from mistreating anybody, even those he have, and want to mistreat us. If we don’t recognize that humanity, what effect will it have on all of us?  Can brutality as a solution be contained to just our enemies, or will it bleed over into the whole of our relationships.  Can we witness it, practice it, and condone it without it becoming a part of us?  Violence will not turn on and off like a light switch.  It will be there when we are at home, work, or play.  The violence we used on our enemies may one day be used on our lovers, children, and friends.  

An uneasy peace rest over Gaza tonight. No place is more afflicted by the terror of violence than the holy land. Yes we are asked to do something hard,  not just for the sake of our enemy, but for the sake of us all.