It’s All About Love
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” – Leviticus 19:18
I’m in the process of finishing my third book. In “Unlikely Candidate,” I dive deep into my improbable adventure through delinquency and life-defining twists to becoming a Chick-fil-A owner. Although I’m incredibly proud of all three books I’ve written, this one is by far the most personal and vulnerable – and I can’t wait to share it with you.
In Chapter Two of “Unlikely Candidate,” I recount stories from life in my neighborhood growing up. For a while, growing up in my neighborhood was an incredible experience. However, one encounter eventually changed everything. I’ll save the rest of the story for the book, but as I think back on those years, I’m reminded of the joy of having a close-knit local community to do life alongside – as well as the reglar tendency to limit our understanding of our “neighbors” to those close to us or similar to us.
Of course, this temptation isn’t unique to us. It’s a battle people have been fighting for thousands of years. Although America is a highly individualized society, most cultures around the globe are more communal in nature. In Eastern countries, it’s common for families, tribes, and other groups to share a similar worldview or value system. Not only does this give people a common sense of identity, but it also unites them closely together in an intimate way.
While there’s nothing wrong with developing connections when we have shared interests (or proximity) to others, Jesus certainly doesn’t want us to stop there. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “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! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” (Matthew 5:43-46)
Jesus goes as far to compare this type of radical and accessible love to “perfection” in Verse 48. Throughout Scripture, perfection is often used to describe someone who is mature or well-developed in their faith (and not so much someone who is without fault or error). Obviously, the latter type of perfection isn’t possible for anyone who isn’t Jesus. On the other hand, a sense of perfection that reflects a high degree of growth and wisdom is attainable, and according to Jesus in this passage, it starts with loving our enemies.
Obviously, we don’t use this type of language much in our everyday conversations anymore. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t necessarily call any single person an “enemy.” However, I think this Scripture is still as relevant for you and me as it ever has been. Perhaps an enemy isn’t someone who actively wishes you harm, but maybe it’s someone who you don’t see eye-to-eye with. Maybe it’s someone who doesn’t have the same values or worldview as you do.
No matter who this person is or what they have done to you (or others), God calls you to show love to them. As you do this, you’ll find that it doesn’t just make a difference for the person who is receiving love, but it has a tremendous impact on your own life as well. If the entire Sermon on the Mount is meant to change our hearts, I don’t know if anything will have as great an impact as showing love to every person – even when it’s hard.
“Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before.” – 1 John 2:7