Looking Your Enemy in the Eye

I will never forget the child-soldier stories from moral theology class. Our professor had worked with children in Uganda. He talked about how the Ugandan Resistance Army (LRA) would intentionally malform the conscience of their eight-year-old abductees. They made them sit on the bodies of their dead parents. Their friends were shot in front of them. When they trained the new boys to kill, most importantly they told them, “Do not look your enemy in the eye.” 

You and I might not live in the horrible world of a Ugandan child soldier. Our enemies might not be so obvious. But what happens to our conscience if we do not look our enemy in the eye? They become inconsequential, of no importance. We can justify doing anything to them. 

In today’s story of David and Saul, the young shepherd wrestles with his conscience. He’s got the king in his grasp. Saul has been horrible to him, hunted him down as an enemy. Now, David has the chance to kill him. But he doesn’t. The key line of the story is actually the line that comes after today’s reading ends. David says,  “I regarded your life as precious today.” He sees Saul’s value through  God’s eyes. He cannot kill him. 

Twice in today’s Gospel, Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” Why?  Because the Most High is “kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.”  God looks the most wayward in the eye and sees his/her value. 

God looks at you and me as precious. God has looked us in the eye and seen our worth. No matter how far we fall short, we are loved. That is the mercy that we have received. That is the mercy that Jesus asks us to extend: Look your enemy in the eye; see their value and do good to them. 

Is that easy? No. Is it right? Yes.

Consider/Discuss 

• Experts in conscience formation tell us that there are five (or more) ways to harden a conscience: excuse, justify, rationalize, avoid, and blame. On our own power, we cannot see our enemies charitably. We are tempted to lessen their value as a human being. How can we permit the Holy Spirit to soften our conscience today so that we see our enemy’s value through God’s eyes and not our own? 
• Today’s psalmist says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget  all his benefits . . . [He] redeems your life from destruction and crowns  you with kindness and compassion.” We can best extend kindness and  compassion when we have reflected on the kindness and compassion  shown to us. In this upcoming week, look back upon your life and write  down the many kindnesses that God has shown to you. From what “destruction” has God redeemed your life? 

Living and Praying with the Word 

Lord, how can we be kind to the ungrateful? That’s a lot to ask!  It is so much easier to love the child who draws us hearts, the aunt  who bakes us pie, the student who smiles and nods, the co-worker who has our back in tough situations. Those others? Ha! We’d like to write them off. They are worthless and never helpful. What’s that?  You see things differently? Aargh . . . Okay. Help us to see them  as you see them. Change my heart, Lord! Help me to start today,  by your grace to take one little step toward loving my enemy. Only in you can it be done. Oh, please, help!