Love Your Enemies--Seriously?

The other day I received an e-mail from a Christian friend of mine. It was a call to arms. Apparently President Obama had strong-armed the USPS and forced them to create, of all things, a Muslim stamp for the Christmas season. How dare he force us, a good Christian nation, to use a Muslim stamp during the time which we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Of course after a little research (see attached Snopes report) I quickly realized that this was nothing more than another anti-Obama, anti-Muslim, supposedly pro-Christian, e-mail.

I started thinking back about all of the e-mails that I have received over the past year or so from Christian friends and co-workers that tell me that it is my obligation as a Christian to denounce Obama and all of his schemes as well as all Muslims and any and all actions that "they" take. I have been called to battle against all of the people who would do me, or my fellow Christians, wrong.

But yesterday I started thinking about these e-mails in a different way. I've looked beyond the superficial message that they try to deliver and really concentrated on the underlying message that they are really sending. That message: there are many "Christians" who are not tolerant of others, particularly those who they consider to be "the enemy". This thought process really created some deep concern for me so I thought I'd better seek some Higher Guidance on this matter.

In Matthew Chapter 5, beginning in verse 43, Jesus said:

You have heard that it was said 'Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy'. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

I have decided that I am not going to heed the advice of these e-mails and write and call and march and protest and all of the other actions that they call me to undertake. Rather, I think that those who I may consider to be my enemy are deserving of my prayers, not my anger and hatred. I really think that as a Christian that is what Christ would have me do.

Funny, but I also think that all of my Christian friends who send me these e-mails may also need some prayer as well.