What can our enemies teach us?

This is the first in a series of posts about ‘Love’ from the Daily Meditations of Fr. Richard Rohr. In this one, he talks about the difficult commandment Jesus gave us, to love our enemies, and asks what we can learn from them.

What can our enemies teach us?

In the spiritual life, your enemies are your best friends. That’s why Jesus makes his most daring commandment that you must love your enemies (Luke 6:27). Until you allow the enemy at the gate to come in, allowing the “not-me” to enter your world, you’ll never be able to face your sin, your dark side, nor will you love others at any deep level.

People who turn you off, people you’re afraid of, have a message for you. We reject and hate our own faults in others, for some strange reason. I’m not saying you have to go out and become best friends with people who threaten you, but you should put up your antennae: they’re triggering something within you–about you. You need them.

From Radical Grace: Daily Meditations, p. 182, day 194

Mantra:
Be in love

I really like what Fr. Richard has to say in this. I can certainly recall times when I’ve found myself taking an instinctive dislike to someone, and realized, when I’ve really thought about it, that what I’ve disliked in them, is a character trait of my own that I dislike too. But I haven’t thought of taking that realization further, as Fr. Richard is encouraging us to do, and try to learn more about myself from them.

The email this came from was one of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations. If you would like to subscribe too, and I can recommend them, the website is here: The Center for Action and Contemplation. It won’t cost you anything.