The Faith to Love Your Enemies

Some wounds are much deeper, much more devastating. Some have lasting harmful consequences. Those are the hard ones to forgive.

Unconditional forgiveness defies comprehension. It is a great mystery, only possible through the grace of God. I have heard holocaust victims forgive their captors, and the people who slaughtered their families. I have heard mothers forgive the monsters who killed their children. I have heard betrayed spouses forgive their husband or wife. And we have all witnessed Jesus' forgiveness of his murderers.
If people can find the strength to forgive such extreme deeds, maybe I can find it in me to forgive the offenses, the mistreatment, the false accusations, the slander, that sometimes comes my way. As I think of the mothers in places of war conflicts right now, they have much more to forgive than I do.

Jesus says not only to forgive, but to love our enemies. That is a high calling, one that requires tremendous faith. Getting rid of the hatred, the resentment, the negative thoughts, and then going beyond that, and actually loving our enemy, is so challenging. I may be able to love someone who has hurt my feelings, but how would I love someone who has done something much worse?

I am so inspired by the life of Jesus, and the examples of so many people I have seen forgive in that way. I need those examples in my life. They show me it is possible.