Loving Your Enemies

I was listening to a podcast by my good friend Preston Sprinkle on the topic of civility. He quoted Arthur Brookes, who said, “ Americans don’t have an anger problem. They have a contempt problem.” He went on to explain that a growing number of people in the United States don’t just disagree with others including members of their own family on political, or social issues, and then change subjects and finish an enjoyable dinner together. Too many people they disagree with have become the enemy!

Take just a minute and reflect on that statement and see if it isn’t true either of a family member, a friend, or yourself. In our own family we have political topics that we’ve decided we will no longer discuss because we know no one is going to change anyone’s mind and to try is not only futile, but it feels judgmental and hurtful. Which it is!

That doesn't mean we Christians just need to keep our mouth shut on moral, ethical and biblical issues and questions out of fear we might hurt someone’s feelings. We are required to speak truth in love. However, just how many times do you or I need to tell the same people what we believe and why? Even more importantly, it’s the way we often voice truth that’s the stumbling block to those we disagree with. We all have these fantasies of having a hard conversation with someone, a spouse, or sibling and all of a sudden they stop in mid-sentance and say, “Oh, I see your point now! How could I have been so wrong?” Especially in the area of politics, “A kind answer turns away anger.” Proverbs 15:1

Preston offered this possible solution; Pick any topic, or political figure you disagree with and try to find just three things that you can think of that they’ve done good, or on which you can agree. If you can’t, think of three, then try harder!

Obviously this doesn’t apply to dictators, despots, murders and truly evil people by almost anyone’s standards. But if you can’t find even three good things that President Trump, former President Biden, Charlie Kirk, or Nancy Polosi have done, then there’s a good chance you’ve made them your enemy and have hardened your heart, refusing to find any good in them. Sin.

How did this moving from disagreement to contempt happen in just a decade, or so? Preston puts the blame for Christians growing contempt on two primary sources, Conflict Entrepreneurs and some Christian pastors and leaders.

Conflict Entrepreneurs are broadcasters, podcasters, radio and T.V. personalities who claim to be Christians but who grow their audience by inflaming their listeners to hate, or deeply distrust those who disagree with them. That’s their business model! They need an “enemy” they can identify that they can protect America from if only we’d rise up and defeat them and either vote them out of office, or defund them. They rarely see these enemies they disagree with as simply naive’ or misguided people, but vilify them as people who hate America and Americans and therefore they need to be stopped by any means necessary to guard our country against them. From there it’s not a huge stretch to think that your brother-in-law, father, a life-long friend, a politician of the other party, or every professor at secular colleges are Americas’s enemies and true patriots must not remain silent. These people must be stopped!

Take a minute. Do you regularly read blogs, listen to podcasts, radio programs, or TV news programs that use that kind of retoric? I’m not concerned about political, or media types who passionately try to honestly inform and motivate us to action. It’s those who are hateful and urge you to distrust, or be hateful of whole groups- immigrants, Muslims, Jews, Democrats, Republicans and anti-vacers, as if “all of them” are unamerican, untrustworthy, or criminals.

Sadly many Christian pastors and leaders have contributed to this inflaming in one of two ways. Either they have openly championed this “us versus them” mentality in the name of restoring family and biblical values by urging their people to vote for politicians who act like anything other than Christians, but they vote “correctly” on social issues. That’s true of either party. Joe Biden claimed to be a “good Catholic” but openly championed abortion and same-sex marriage, both of which the Catholic Church vehemently opposes. President Trump claims to be a “good Christian” and pro-life but has had three wives and I can’t imaging anyone thinking he “loves his neighbor as himself.” Still other pastors and priests are guilty of remaining silent and not warning their people, or openly, but kindly opposing those who are calling us to hate our enemies.

Back to you and me. This past week, or two I’ve sincerely tried to do as Preston suggested and I’ve found a surprising number of things that I agree with in three or four politicians, bloggers, or podcasters who I’ve considered “conflict entrepreneurs.” It has not changed my mind about most of their views but it has softened my heart for them a little and for the people I know who have been influenced by them. I met with one such friend recently who loves one of these “toxic podcasters” and told him what I’ve been doing and why. And I urged him to do the same bacause Jesus told all his would be followers that it’s a sin to hate our enemies. I can honestly say I don’t “hate” anyone. But I’m still working on loving them.

“Do not repay evil, for evil, or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary bless , for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” I Peter 3:9

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge.” Romans 12:17