A few years ago, a fairly famous man died. I believe he was a politician, I can’t remember his name now. He wasn’t a very nice man when he lived and the internet forums were full of rejoicing over the man’s death. I expressed some compassion for the man’s family and was quickly rebuked for doing so. In response I tried to explain that it is easy to have compassion for someone you like or is likeable, it is an entirely different and more difficult thing to have compassion for someone you don’t like. They didn’t understand at the time.
Maybe now they do, but this is a biblical theme. Take your pick from the scriptures. You may have seen the following as a random proverb to the right:
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21-22)Try this one right from Jesus himself:
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you so that you will become children of your Father in heaven, because he makes his sun rise on both evil and good people, and he lets rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Mat 5:44-45)
How about when Paul quotes the proverb from above:
Do not take revenge, dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me. I will pay them back, declares the Lord.” But “if your enemy is hungry, feed him. For if he is thirsty, give him a drink. If you do this, you will pile burning coals on his head.” Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good. (Rom 12:19-21)
This is a difficult thing to do, believe me, I understand. It is a foreign concept and seems to counter intuition. Recall, however that God does not wish the death of the wicked. He would rather they turned from their ways.
“I don’t take delight in the death of the wicked, do I?” asks the Lord GOD. “Shouldn’t I rather delight when he turns from his wicked ways and lives? (Eze 18:23)
If none of that is enough, remember that the standard we use to judge others will be used to judge us.
“Stop judging, so that you won’t be judged, because the way that you judge others will be the way that you will be judged, and you will be evaluated by the standard with which you evaluate others. (Mat 7:1-2)
We, too, were once enemies of God. He had grace on us and allowed us to be reconciled to Him. Is it not good then to allow others to have the same opportunity?
I am not the only one to think so. There is an movement attempting to organize this process toward terrorists. I suggest you visit “Adopt a Terrorist”. They have lists of actual names of known terrorists. They have suggestions on how to pray for them. You don’t have to take their lead, though. Pray for our enemies so that they may come join us in the light.