The radio show DNTO did a piece on "frenemies" recently. It was fairly wide ranging, looking at the friends who offend and irritate but somehow remain friends, as well as those we might consider enemies with whom we are able to find common ground.
It got me thinking about the notion of frenemies. Jesus asked what good it is to love those who love you --after all, who wouldn't? He tells his listeners to love their enemies, and let them bring out the best of us rather than the worst.
This is a tough one. Lots of people talk to me about the problems they have with family members, both those who are "born family" and those they take on as family through marriage. Often they admit that they hate someone they once loved particularly after a tough divorce or custody battle. Family member can often be the Lucy to our Charlie Brown, pulling away the football of trust, over and over again.
Do you have frenemies? Are you winning or losing in the challenge of loving them? Can it be loving to walk away? What was Jesus thinking?
4 comments:
I have clearly lost that battle.
I imagine it is much different when betrayed in a marriage, custody battle,or through abuse, so can't be compared to those times when you just feel really "let down" by those you are supposed to love, but in those cases I do keep Jesus' message close at hand to tame the consuming anger reflex. In the process, I often find I eventually learn a little more about me that might just help for the next time.
When those kind of people irritate me, I often ask myself, "as you lay dying one day, what kind of thoughts will you want to be thinking about so-&-so?"
They should be good ones.
Like Roger,we also have sadly,with heavy hearts,after many years of reaching out,lost the battle.There comes a time one has to just except this and let go,in saying this however,I do not think we will ever totally give up praying things might change.
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