THE WILL TO LOVE - Vital Christianity

66“Love indiscriminately, therefore as your heavenly Father loves indiscriminately” areJesus’ closing words. When we love indiscriminately, as God loves, then we are perfect as He isperfect. For we exemplify the perfection of His divine love.WHY LOVE OUR ENEMIES?Why love our enemies? We have already seen that we are to love them because Godloves them. For, we are commanded to be like God. Thereby we manifest the perfection of Hislove and prove our sonship, that we are His true sons. But there are other practical reasons whywe should love our enemies.We must love our enemies because only love breaks the spirit of hatred. Returninghatred for hatred only multiplies hatred, adding deeper darkness to an already dark world.Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hatred multiplies hatred, violencemultiplies violence in a descending spiral of destruction. The chain reaction of evil must bebroken. And it can only be broken by love.Loving our enemies rescues us from the hatred that not only hurts them but whichalso scars our own souls and distorts our own personality. While hatred does irreparabledamage to its victims it is just as injurious to the person who hates. Like an unchecked cancer,hatred corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. For hatred destroys a person’s senseof value and his objectivity.Loving our enemies is also important because love is the only force capable oftransforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hatred withhatred; we get rid of an enemy by getting rid of the enmity he has. Only redemptive, forgivinglove can free a person from that spiral of hatred and enmity. Love transforms with redemptivepower.Peter Miller, a Baptist pastor during the American revolution, enjoyed the friendship hehad with George Washington. In Ephrata, Pennsylvania, where Rev. Miller lived, a very evilmindedperson by the name of Michael Wittman, also lived. Mr. Wittman did all he could tooppose and humiliate Rev. Miller.One day Michael Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. Peter Millertraveled seventy miles on foot to Philadelphia to plead for the life of the traitor.General Washington answered Rev. Miller’s pleas with a resounding “No! I cannot grantyou the life of your friend.” “My friend!” exclaimed the old preacher. “He’s the bitterest enemy Ihave.”