“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.” (Luke 6:35 NLT)
“If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.” (James 2:8 BSB)
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13 NKJV)
How do I see those around me?
Are they my friends? If so then I should love them.
Are they my enemies? If so, then I should love them.
Do they hate me? What is my response to their hatred? Just love them.
Do they love me? What is my response to their love? Just love them.
I am constantly bombarded by the media with reports and images that lead me to believe that this is an extremely wicked world. Images of hatred, division, violence, bigotry, and prejudice tempt me to pull away and hide from anyone, or anything, that exists outside the safety of my four walls. As I start to picture those around me as wanting to harm me, whether what I think is accurate or not, it begins to shape how I see others, and how I live in relation to them.
I can’t help but doubt the motives of those trying to fill my head with these images. Yes, “bad” does exist. There is evil in this world, but I do not believe that the degree to which I am being told is accurate to the reality of overall world conditions. For every “wicked” person there are multitudes of people who are doing their best to make this planet a “good” place to live. Media stacks one “bad” report on another and neglects to show us the “good” reports taking place all around us.
So how do I help to make this a “good” place to live? I believe it starts with the image that I hold of those around me. And beyond that, how I treat them regardless of the image that I currently hold. You see, if I view you as my enemy, and respond with love, chances are soon you will no longer be my enemy. If I see you as my friend or neighbor and make a daily effort to love you, we will become better friends, and closer neighbors.
When my only response is love, then even when I do not see the results that I am hoping for, I will be a much less fearful person. It is difficult to hold on to fear when I am filled with love (perfect love casts out fear).
Let’s give love a try when we think about…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 193: “Can You See Me Now?” (Peering through the Looking Glass of “Image”) Part 6 “Image of Others”