LOVE YOUR ENEMIES - BUT HOW?
"You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father” - Matthew 5:43-45
Shortly before Christmas, my grandmother was transferred to hospice. On January 28, she went home to be with God and reunited with her husband. Funeral arrangements were made, and after Lunar New Year, we celebrated the Mass and burial events this past week.
My mother’s family flew down from Canada for the week. 13 people, from infants and toddlers to seniors, staying in one not so huge house made for what felt like indoor camping. During this time, we were grateful to be reunited and catch up. Yet there was also an elephant in the room that we didn’t know what to do with. Would there be a way to address this matter? It didn’t look promising the first few days. In fact, it got worse initially.
Somehow, within the cramped close quarters, and between closed door whispers, glimmers of hope surfaced. The glimmers turned to sparks of genuine connection and joy through small moments in the kitchen, playing games, and so forth. What started out as anger transitioned to tough love and then to a compassionate, fun-loving care. I can’t say that it was strategized - only that it was clear that spending time together was the most important thing. God did the orchestrating, it seems. On the other side of the enemy was someone who was longing to be seen, to be accepted, to be loved.
I am quite shocked to say that as the week ended, the notion of loving an enemy actually turned into a reality. I had never seen or had this experience - significant family issues being resolved like this, in such simple yet beautiful ways - before in my life. In such close proximity, it seems we had no other choice. Our mother, grandmother, and great grandmother truly had her mantle over us and only God could have made that possible.
Lord, where are you inviting me to see an enemy through a different lens? How are you inviting me to participate with you in this?
Quyen Nhi Ngo