This week’s message reflects on our society’s fixation with our innumerable differences and beliefs each of which seemingly represents an existential threat to our lives, liberties, and our pursuit of happiness. During the scorched earth election cycle we’ve endured over these past few months, the flames of discord have been passionately fanned by both political party’s candidates and further spread by partisan acolytes and media pundits. It makes one wonder what kind of country we can look forward post-voting regardless of who is named the electoral winner.
No, our divisions likely will not diminish after the votes are counted. They may well intensify.
Is there any pathway to end our national discord? I believe there is a way. I believe this to be so…because the Bible tells us so.
In November 1957, a young preacher and rising civil rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr., gave a sermon to the congregation of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Alabama. His homily was taken from Matthew 5:43-45.
Despite the 67 years that marks the age of this message, it is uncanny how applicable it is to moderating the divisions that are at the root of today’s dissonance. Here are several excerpts of that prophetic sermon:
I want to turn your attention to this subject: “Loving Your Enemies.” It’s so basic to me because it is a part of my basic philosophical and theological orientation: the whole idea of love, the whole philosophy of love. In the fifth chapter of the gospel recorded by Saint Matthew, we read these very arresting words flowing from the lips of our Lord and Master: “Ye have heard that it has been said, ‘Thou shall love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.’ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you; that ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven.”
Certainly, these are great words, words lifted to cosmic proportions. And over the centuries, many persons have argued that this is an extremely difficult command. Many would go as far as to say it just isn’t possible to move out into the actual practice of this glorious command. They would go on to say that this is just additional proof that Jesus was an impractical idealist who never quite came down to earth. So the arguments abound. But far from being an impractical idealist, Jesus has become the practical realist. The words of this text glitter in our eyes with new urgency. Far from being the pious injunction of a utopian dreamer, this command is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. Yes, it is love that will save the world and our civilization, love even for enemies.
Now first let us deal with this question, which is the practical question: How do you go about loving your enemies? I think the first is this: In order to love your enemies, you must begin by analyzing self. And I’m sure that seems strange to you, that I start out telling you this morning that you love your enemies by beginning with a look at self. It seems to me that that is the first and foremost way to come to an adequate discovery of the how of this situation. Now, I’m quite aware of the fact that some people will not like you, not because of something you have done to them, but they just won’t like you. I’m quite aware of that. Some people aren’t going to like the way you walk; some aren’t going to like the way you talk. Some people aren’t going to like you because you can do your job better than they can do theirs. Some people aren’t going to like you because other people like you, and because you’re popular, and well-liked, they aren’t going to like you. Some people aren’t going to like you because your hair is a little shorter than theirs or your hair is a little longer than theirs. Some people aren’t going to like you because your skin is a little brighter than theirs; and others aren’t going to like you because your skin is a little darker than theirs. So that some people aren’t going to like you. They are going to dislike you, not because of something you did to them, but because of various jealous reactions and other reactions that are so prevalent in human nature.
But after looking at these things and admitting these things, we must face the fact that an individual might dislike us because of something that we’ve done deep down in the past, some personality attribute that we possess, something that we ‘ve done deep down in the past and we’ve forgotten about it, but it was that something that aroused the hate response within the individual. That is why I say, begin with yourself. There might be something within you that arouses the tragic hate response in the other individual.
A second thing that an individual must do in seeking to love his enemy is to discover the element of good in his enemy, and every time you begin to hate that person and think of hating that person, realize that there is some good there and look at those good points which will over-balance the bad points…There is something within all of us that causes us to cry out, “There is enough stuff in me to make both a gentleman and a rogue.” There is something within each of us that causes us to cry out with Apostle Paul: “I see and approve the better things of life, but the evil things I do.”
So somehow the “isness” of our present nature is out of harmony with the eternal “oughtness” that forever confronts us. And this simply means this: That within the best of us, there is some evil, and within the worst of us, there is some good. When we come to see this, we take a different attitude toward individuals. The person who hates you most has some good in him; even the nation that hates you most has some good in it; even the race that hates you most has some good in it. And when you come to the point that you look in the face of every man and see deep down within him what religion calls “the image of God,” you begin to love him in spite of. No matter what he does, you see God’s image there. There is an element of goodness that he can never slough off. Discover the element of good in your enemy. And as you seek to hate him, find the center of goodness, and place your attention there and you will take a new attitude.
…Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, “Love your enemies,” It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. That’s why Jesus say, “love your enemies.” Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption. You just keep loving people and keep loving them, even though they’re mistreating you. Here’s the person who is a neighbor, and this person is doing something wrong to you and all that. Just keep being friendly to that person. Keep loving them. Don’t do anything to embarrass them. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with bitterness because they’re mad because you love them like that. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There is something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. “Love your enemies.”
And our civilization must discover that. Individuals must discover that as they deal with other individuals. There is a little tree planted on a little hill and on that tree hangs the most influential character that ever came into this world. But never feel that that tree is a meaningless drama that took place on the stage of history. Oh no, it is a telescope through which we look out into the long vista of eternity, and see the love of God breaking forth into time. It is an eternal reminder to a generation depending on nuclear and atomic energy, a generation depending on physical violence, that love is the only creative, redemptive, transforming power in the universe.
So, this morning, I say to you, “I love you. I would rather die than hate you.” And I am foolish enough to believe that through the power of love somewhere, those of the most recalcitrant bent will be transformed. And then we will be in God’s kingdom. We will be able to matriculate into the university of eternal life because we had the power to love our enemies, to bless those persons that cursed us, to even decide to be good to those persons who hated us, and we even prayed for those persons who despitefully used us.
Oh God, help us in our lives and in all our attitudes to work out this controlling force of love, this controlling power that can solve every problem that we confront in all areas. Oh, we talk about politics; we talk about the problems facing our citizens, but only through our understanding and living Your Word, Lord, will we come together and discover that to solve these problems—the international problems, the problems with nuclear proliferation, and yes, even the racial and religious problems— we must join together in a great fellowship of love and bow down at the feet of Jesus. Give us this strong determination, in the name and spirit of Christ, we pray. Amen.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. –Matthew 19:26
Have an AWE-full Weekend!
William “Bill” Bacque