Sunday, September 3, 2017

People we hate to love







Romans 12:9-21 (CEB)
Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good.10 Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. 11 Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! 12 Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. 14 Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying. 16 Consider everyone as equal, and don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. Don’t think that you’re so smart. 17 Don’t pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good.
18 If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people. 19 Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord20 Instead, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. By doing this, you will pile burning coals of fire upon his head21 Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good.

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This is such an inspiring passage.  Love everyone.   Help others.  Welcome strangers.  Be happy with those who are happy and cry with those who are crying.  *happy sigh*  Be on fire with the Spirit when you serve the Lord!  Consider everyone as equal!  Live at peace with all people!   Yes!  

Wouldn’t it be lovely if Paul could have left it at that?   Just a list of sweet, inspiring statements to embroider on a pillow, or make into a Facebook meme.  
But no.  Paul has to go and add the hard parts.   Bless the people who harass you - and don’t curse them.   

Really Paul?   But what about that guy who just cut me off on the freeway? Surely it’s ok to respond with just a little sign language?  What about that person who called me names on Facebook?  I don’t have to stand for that, do I?  I can call them names back, right?  I can post something mean about the people who are mean to me and call them names anonymously, can’t I?  *smh*

Even his direction to try to outdo each other in showing honor to each other can get a bit weird.  Like the cartoon characters Chip and Dale.  “After you.” “No, after you.”  “No, no.  After you.”   That can get downright testy if someone doesn’t decide to accept the honor of going first.  Not to mention blocking a doorway for ever so no one else can walk through.   I was planning a wedding some years back, and as I was leaving the bride - who was from Japan - bowed to me.  I bowed a bit lower, as I was a guest in her home.  She bowed again.  I bowed again.  She bowed so deeply she literally touched her knees with her head.  I gave up. I later figured out that she was honoring me as the pastor, according to her traditions.  

Paul says, “Hate evil.”  Easy!  But then he says, “Don’t pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions.”  

But Paul.  What about these guys, the ones in the pictures?  What about people who spew hatred and evil?  What about people who attack the innocent, just because they are different in one way or another?   I imagine you all know that when Westboro Baptist Church is expected to show up, one of two things usually happens.  If if it a funeral, a group of people - either people wearing giant angel wings or a group of veterans - will act as a barricade so the family doesn’t have to deal with the ugliness.  If it is another sort of event, people show up to peacefully counter-protest with silly signs like, “God hates signs.”  They have practically become poster children for misplaced rage.   In fact, there is a meme running around on the internet that says, “Live your life in such a way that Westboro Baptist wants to picket your funeral.”  

And the ones in the white robes, burning the cross?  Well . . .  They can’t be made fun of.  But like the members of Westboro Baptist Church, they firmly believe they are right in believing and speaking and acting the way they do.   Many consider their actions to be evil, but Paul says,”Don’t pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good.“ and “Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good.

Note, please, that Paul doesn’t say “Don’t get angry.” Nor does he say, “Don’t protect yourself from those who harass you, or do evil actions.”  He says, “Don’t try to get even. Leave revenge to the Lord.”  He says, “If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people.”    

And then he says what I think is the coolest thing ever.  If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. By doing this, you will pile burning coals of fire upon his head.  That’s genius. That makes it feel like you are getting revenge without doing anything wrong!   I’ve heard people say that when someone did them wrong in one way or another, they would just smile.  And every time they saw that person, they would smile.  The other guy would then spend his time watching his back, waiting for the revenge to happen. And of course, that  was the revenge.  Which may or may not be what Paul had in mind… But it is what the Samaritan did, stopping to help a Jew, an enemy, and even putting him up in an inn, spending his own money to help him recover from his injuries.

What Paul does here is take Jesus’ teachings about loving your enemies and give us concrete examples of how to do that.  And to answer the person in that cartoon asking whether Jesus meant the Romans….Yes.  Yes, he did.  He meant the Romans and the guy who cheated you on that car he sold you, and the Klan, and the people who talk bad about you, and anyone you might consider “enemy.”  

Repaying evil with good is fighting fire not with fire, but with water.  Sometimes a fire break, removing all the possible fuel in the path of a fire is necessary to keep the fire from spreading further.  That way the fire burns itself out due to lack of fuel.   Likewise, it’s really hard to keep fighting with someone when they won’t fight back.  Turning the other cheek, refusing to respond with anger to anger, finding ways to do good in response to the evil being done by others, that is what Paul says we need to do.  That is what Jesus means when he says, “Love your enemy.”   Even the Romans.  Even the Klan.  Even religious people whose understanding of God causes them to hate you.  

Love is wanting the best for others regardless of how they behave or how they treat you.  Love is caring for others when they need care, no matter who they are.  Love is refusing to allow someone else’s anger and hatred spark yours.  When you hear evil, respond with good.  When you hear hateful speech, respond with love.   Love one another, even your enemy.  Especially your enemy, cause it’s easy to love your friends, and being a Christian isn’t supposed to be easy. 


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