“Love your enemies; pray for those who persecute you.” Jesus
If we think about it, this quote from Jesus is incredibly radical, even revolutionary. For example, it was part and parcel of Dr. Martin Luther King’s approach to social justice. Jesus was not naive; he understood human nature and the atrocities we are capable of commiting. Thus, his injunction to love our enemies is not a call to denial or victimhood. Rather, it is an invitation to live from our hearts, to pray for the highest good of all people, to serve the highest good of everyone in our lives, and to be motivated by love in our words and deeds. Of course, what Jesus is asking us to do is humanly impossible. Here, meditation, which immerses us in the unlimited power of God’s love, comes into play. When we endeavor to love others, especially our so-called enemies, we open a door that allows God to love in and through us. We love with God’s love. Today, pick someone you detest and pray for him or her. It could be a family member, a co-worker, or a politician. Pray that the highest good unfolds in their lives, and watch what happens.
Beloved Guruji,
Give me the grace
To pray for those
Who persecute me.
