God allows
the same mercy and love to be given to the just and the unjust, the kind and
the wicked, and those who strive for goodness and those who don't [Matthew 5:43-48]. Honestly, loving those who have hurt me or
mistreated me is not something I do well.
How can we love someone who tramples our dignity because we’re considered
too old, not worthy, not the right skin color, not wanted, not good enough, or
an easy target? How can we love someone
who hurts us so profoundly that we can barely face another day? It’s not easy. It leaves us feeling that there’s no justice
for the one who has felt persecuted.
However, maybe God doesn't require us to forget our hurts. God might just be asking us to consider love
as a point of healing for ourselves and others.
God might be asking us to consider freeing ourselves from the bondage of
hate and pain so we can rest.
So, to all
those who have ever put me down and kicked me while I was down, I pray for
you. To all those who called me ugly at
one point or another, I pray for you. To
all those whose words and actions tore into my soul and left me wondering if
there was still goodness in the world, I pray for you. I will try to love you by God's grace, but
till then, I will pray for you. My
prayers will be from a good place, not because I’m righteous but because I’m a
child of God and I have chosen love. It’s
true for most of us that loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute
us doesn't come as easy as we would like.
However, could I really say that I observe and keep God's commandments
with all my heart and soul if I pick and choose the most convenient
commandments to follow and ignore the rest?
Am I really walking in God’s ways and listening to God’s voice if I
decide that I’ve been hurt too badly or persecuted too often to make room for
much-needed prayer for the offenders?
Can I really hold my head up high and rest comfortably in God’s love if
I can’t see those who have hurt me in any way as lovable and as children of God
too? Do they not also bear the face of
God?
Yes, some of
God’s children are naughty, to say the least, but I know that I’m not always
the just one, the good one, the forgiving one, the understanding one. Even though I try to live out my baptism and
try my best to be a good person each day, I could also end up being someone's
enemy or even persecuting another for any number of reasons, especially out of
fear or pain. When I find myself in that
dark place with the role of “enemy” or “persecutor,” I know I would crave love
and mercy, even though it’s undeserved.
I know that my soul would long for prayers from anyone who would make
room and see fit to forgive me and love me anyway.
Merciful
God, we pray that those who have hurt us in whatever way may receive your
mercy. Amen.
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