“Jesus held uncomplaining guard over the world,” wrote Mary Baker Eddy.
In an era of intense clannishness, Jesus steadfastly promoted universal and impartial love and respect. He ministered to Jew and Samaritan, to Romans and other gentiles, to male and female, to child and aged and in between, to rich and poor, to honest and dishonest, to soldier and civilian, to in-groups and out-groups, to rulers and slaves.
One of Jesus’ most difficult teachings is to love your enemies. It seems so contrary to wisdom or nature to do so. While we may find it possible to love enemies at a distance, loving someone who has just done something mean to us can seem really hard. And why should we try to love them when it might just be easier to avoid them?
One thing I’ve discovered is that if you love someone, it is impossible to fear them at the same time.
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