Enemy

As a Christian we are told to love.

Love our family and friends.

Love our enemies and those that hate us.

Love unconditionally.

I don't know if many people think this way, but I believe our call to love is a burden of sorts. Let me clarify, loving in itself is not a burden, but how, who, and what we are supposed to love is. Its very simple to love the people that are close to you, or even the people who are nice and kind. But loving the people that you hate? Or the people that hate you?

Hating someone is an escape.

Its so much easier just to hate someone than to love them, hate is really only the easy way out. Hate lets you escape this burden of love that has been placed upon you. If you are love someone that you hate, you actually have to think about good things about that person. Often times, that can be very hard considering that you actually hate that person but with hate... its just so easy to let go and let your rage run free and consume you.

Let me expand on this burden part because I have a feeling it is very vague. Because we are told to love unconditionally, in a sense we have to shoulder this lack of love and spread it. As much as this love is a burden, it is also a gift. As a Christian we are given the gift of love, and we are supposed to give this gift to the whole world. C.S. Lewis said that if you take revenge on someone, all you are doing is making that hate grow. On the flip side, if you continue to love someone, your love for them will continually grow.

Wise words from a wise man.

I learned all of this in a day. Or rather, I experienced this burden first hand and I took the easy way out. I hated, and worst of all I acted on this hatred.

If there is anything I learned today, its that acting on your hatred will always lead to something bad. You might not see it soon, hell you might even see it right away. But its there, just waiting to come back. Often times it immediately slaps you back in the face and you are left with deep regret.

Neither is quick, neither is painless. It is a slow process that you can only fill... with love.

Sorry Dad.