“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Matthew 5:44
It’s tearing at the seams of societies across the globe. Social scientists call it polarization.
Polarization happens when we become divided into opposing sides that each have very different views or beliefs. When what we disagree over is something relatively unimportant like sports, we’re rivals. But when we disagree over deeply held values, we become bitter enemies.
Jesus pointed out what the norm of human behavior. He said, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy” (Matthew 5:44a). Love the person who is like you–who looks like you, values the same things that you do and lives like you live. There’s nothing remarkable in that. “But,” Jesus said, “I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matthew 5:44b)
Hear that, and you may think, “When Jesus says to love our enemies, surely He’s thinking of a different kind of love!” One writer points out. “This isn’t an “I want to be your best friend” type of love. It’s a love founded in an ‘I see your value and worth as a human being’ mindset.” [1] Only when we view others as created in God’s image, loved by God and as people that Jesus died for, is it possible to have mutual love and respect for one another. Without this, “…we begin to turn our attacks toward a person’s identity, rather than toward their beliefs. Instead of critiquing the value of a particular stance, we critique the value of the person taking the stance.”[2]
Let’s ask ourselves: Are any of my friends “on the other side of the aisle?” Have I ever stopped to pray for those whose positions I think are dead wrong?
[1] Miller, Josh I. “Peace in Politics.” First15, 1 Sept. 2024.
[2] Ibid.
