Love Your Enemies... Or Atleast be Tolerant to Them

We all have someone, we don't get along with, don't we? I have one... oh wait maybe two... three? Oh leave it lets come to the point.

In such a diverse society we live in, there is always someone out there that we totally dislike. This dislike can be because of the differences between two person, because of some past event that hurt, because of competition, because there is a thing called hatred at first sight.

Anyways whatever may be the reason, the fact is that we all do have these enemies.

Now, our behavior with the people we don't like, distinguishes us from others. as Jesus says in the Gospel of Luke 6:32-36  "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

OK, to be very truthful, this portion of the scripture is something I have been trying to attempt and have failed a lot of times. I tried everything, but somehow I am not able to like(let alone love) my enemy! So now I am trying another method.

Instead of trying to 'love' or 'like' these people, I am learning the virtue of tolerance. I am letting these people be, I believe once I master the virtue of tolerance(not in the negative sense), I will move towards accepting them, the way they are, differences and everything else.

Acceptance will be followed by respect, which will be followed by 'love'(well, if everything works out fine!).

The point here is, it might not be possible for us to instantly love or like a person we have something against, but we all can atleast practice the act of tolerance and mercy.

We should not forget that the heavenly Father loves us despite our iniquities, we too should practice patience, mercy and love with our fellow brothers and sisters.