‘Love thy neighbour’. That is a pretty common phrase that actually originated in the Bible. And it does make sense. Get along with your friends, family and neighbours and life will be pretty good between you and them.
But what about our ‘enemies’? We all have them. Folks who for some reason do not like or respect us. Folks who think we have wronged them or who are jealous of our success or lifestyle. What about them?
‘Love thy enemies’. That is also a Bible-based concept. But it is a much harder concept to understand and follow.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that you should love those who strive to harm you, but it does imply that it is a waste of energy to ‘hate’ them. Rather than directing negative energy towards them, show them respect and be kind to them. Show them that it is a waste of energy to dislike you.
You don’t have to show them fondness, but you can still show them a better way through kindness.
Note: I wrote that in 2016 and thought it applies now as much or more than ever. There seems to be a lot of hate happening in the world these days but we are fortunate to live in a very loving community. Keep it up folks.