passion @ uwa

Tough Call there Pastor Hollday, i though to myself as i read today's reading. I have a hard time loving my family, my friends and beautiful people in the way Jesus loved me let alone my enemies.

Honestly, I say its quite hard to wrap our minds around it. Can you imagine members of the KKK having a beer with Chris Rock, can you imagine Sir Alex playing Wii with Rafa whats his face, can you imagine Al Gore having a cup of tea with Carbon Dioxide?

Jokes aside, can we imagine one day living a world where Israelites start loving their Palestinian "neighbours". I mean, thats the bottom line aint it? Loving the hardest people to love, our enemies.

But its not even about arch enemy type relationships cause i mean, how many of us have a Batman vs The Joker relationship. This comes down to even people who hurt us, who intentionally harm us, people who for no reason what so ever try to destroy us. ( See examples given in the book i.e Slap in the face, law suit etc)

How many of us can face that sort of situation and say, Im going to love you brother, come here and let me give you a egg mayo sandwich. I find it hard man. Its tough loving the dude whos just tried to knock you out, its tough trying to love the dude whos just backstabbed you in a million places, its tough loving that FACE thats so rude (jokes jokes).

And i guess thats it. its so tough that we find it impossible on our own strength. I know its really becoming such a cliche; Depend on God, Depend on Jesus, he will give you the strength required to love.

But man its really the truth. Why else did He die on the cross for us? If we could do it on our own and follow the commands, follow all the laws just by wanting to do it, then the grace of God would not be required, then Jesus's death and resurrection would not be required.

This is the bottom line, its not just enough to desire to change, to desire to love our enemies. We need his power, we need the Holy Spirit indwelling in us daily. That power comes from God and we need to ask for it. Jesus's death has given us a definite hope of a life in Heaven, eternal life. But his life, his resurrection, that has given us a hope of abundant life, here on Earth. That means his life enables us to live that abundant life here now, to live transformed lives.

Lastly, why Love our Enemies? Because putting love into action, especially a tough assignment like loving our Enemies really tests our character, and when we learn to depend on His power for this tough tough impossible thing, we know we are moving to that next level, where we can be truly like Jesus, slowly transformed into his likeness. For me, it beings by praying for my enemies, and i know like Jesus, thats how we start to love. Ps Hollday says it on Pg314, when we choose to love in this slightest way, we choose to be like God.

Friends, Lets Choose to be like God today.

Shalom,

Jems