how to engage a culture of hate

But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Luke 6:27-28

Jesus turns our natural dispositions completely around with this teaching. Our internal sense of self bristles against these commands. We are wired to hate enemies, retaliate against others who hurt us, curse those who don’t like us, and pray against those who are against us. But Jesus calls us to a radical love in radical obedience to Him. He loves His enemies enough to die for them. As a former enemy of Christ, every Christian has experienced that undeserved love. He gives grace to those who by their own actions against Him should not deserve it. Jesus blesses those who don’t really want His blessing.

But we are called to love as Jesus loves, so we HAVE to do this. And that means that we love those who are against us. How? We have to love them in Christ’s love, which means we share the love of Christ for sinners and share the gospel freely and without reservation. We don’t hate them because they hate Jesus. We love them enough to keep showing them the grace of Jesus, proclaiming Him in the gospel in both words and in actions.

And we are called to do good to those who don’t do good to us. We don’t name call, hate, and villainize them. We must do good, even if our enemies are in control of political and cultural power. We pay taxes, we vote our consciences, we keep laws that are not in conflict with God’s Law, and we should be known as the best, kindest, most compassionate, most people loving, most generous of citizens as a result. After all, in Jesus, we DO possess the higher ground!

We bless when we are cursed. Yes, it will be the case that Christian values will become more and more hated in this world, particularly in the area of sexual ethics and morality. We will continue to be punch lines and punching bags. That is really nothing new. But we do not retaliate in the same vein. We bless when cursed, and don’t curse back!

And we pray. God help us to pray! We must truly and passionately intercede for the salvation of those who rage against God and us. We should pray for the cross to transform lives and key leaders. STOP PRAYING FOR CULTURAL CHANGE! Pray for gospel permeation and salvation of men and women! If God can turn Saul around, a killer of Christians, and turn him into an apostle of Christ, He can surely change even our culture by the power of the resurrected King!