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| As we reflect on the importance of Independence Day, how will we hear Jesus' invitation to love not only our neighbors, but our enemies as well. |
There’s
a parable that the Jesuit priest Anthony De Mello tells in his book The Song of the Bird. The story entitled
Jesus At The Football Match goes as
follows:
Jesus Christ said he had never
been to a football match. So we took him to one, my friends and I. It was a
ferocious battle between the Protestant Punchers and the Catholic Crusaders.
The Crusaders scored first.
Jesus cheered wildly and threw his hat high up in the air. Then the Punchers
scored. And Jesus cheered wildly and threw his hat high up in the air.
This seemed to puzzle the man
behind us. He tapped Jesus on the shoulder and asked, “Which side are you
rooting for, my good man?”
“Me?” replied Jesus, visibly
excited by the game. “Oh, I’m not rooting for either side. I’m just enjoying
the game.”
The questioner turned to his
neighbor and sneered, “Hmm, an atheist!”
We took him up on this after the
game. Was he in the habit of never taking sides? “I side with people rather
than religious,” said Jesus, “human beings rather than Sabbath.”[1]
Here in
the United States we grow up being taught of our exceptionalism. We learn of
concepts like Manifest Destiny. Our media reinforces that we are the greatest
of all nations. Our sense of greatness almost feels like it is in the air we breath. This story from Fr. Anthony De Mello, as silly as we may think it is, points in a different
direction. That direction is the same direction we hear Jesus leading us in our Gospel
reading for Independence Day.
“Love
your neighbor,” is the second greatest of all the commandments according to
Jesus of Nazareth. Following it is hard enough. We have a difficult enough time in our
country loving our neighbor who has a different opinion, background, faith,
custom, or story than our own. We hear Jesus saying these words—almost every
Sunday at the 8 o’clock service—and perhaps quietly we nod our head. But, to live out
this truth, to actually love our neighbor is really hard.
To do
this we have to see that neighbor from beyond our limited perspective. We have to find common ground: we live on the same street, reside in the same
town, share a mutual friend, or have a common interest. To put it in the language of De Mello’s parable, we root for the same
team, the same side. And, while this is difficult to find common ground,
it is not impossible. However, Jesus did not stop speaking after he said “Love your
neighbor,” no this was just the introduction.
Jesus
said, “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, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” What
stands out here is not that we are called to love our enemies. Yes that is
striking! However, what stops me in my tracks is that loving our enemies is how we become
children of God. The way we are these children is by being
like our Father/Mother in heaven. And, to do this, we cannot just
cheer for our team.
To be
like God, to be like Jesus, to be filled with the Spirit we are called to see
even our enemies through the eyes of Our Loving God. I am not saying this is
easy. It’s almost certainly impossible. In truth, it definitely is impossible on our own. But, with God,
through God all things are possible. Yes, even loving our enemies.
To love
our enemies though we must be able to cheer for both sides. To love our enemies
we must see things not just from the perspective of what is best for us, but also what is for the
good of the world, the universe, and the cosmos. To love our enemies we must be
willing to cross over boundaries and love people like Jesus. And, the way he loved was and is without limit.
But, there’s one more thing.
God’s
call to us is not that we must love of our enemies to be his children. Rather,
when Jesus said what we read today, he was describing who God’s children are. It’s
a matter of fact, a matter of truth. God’s children love their enemies. That is the truth of being
a child of God. We receive the transforming love of God, then we cannot help
but let it overflow not just to our family, friends, and neighbors, but even to, maybe even especially to those who would persecute or hate us.
As we
celebrate Independence Day, may we recall that we are a vast nation of
neighbors who are called to love and to respect each other, despite our differences. And, Jesus bids us even
further. As we live as children of God, we are called to love even those who
despise us or our country. Let us love each other, love those close to us, and
love our enemies!
[1] Anthony De Mello. “Jesus At The Football
Match.” The Song of the Bird. (New
York: Image Books Doubleday Press, 1982). 147-148.
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