January 13, 2008: Loving the Haters – Brian Gray

Sigmund Freud said, “The commandment [‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’] is impossible to fulfill … Anyone who follows such a precept in present day civilization puts himself at a disadvantage.” With this hopeful viewpoint of the teachings of Jesus we ask the question … just how can I love someone who hates me? Jesus begins by quoting Rabbinic thought, You have heard it said, “It is a duty to hate the one who is sinning as it is said, ‘to fear the LORD is to hate evil.’” There was a debate in Jesus’ day about who people should love. The question was “Who is my neighbor?” This was asked in reference to Leviticus 19.18. The words for love seems to answer this. The Hebrew word v'ahavtah --is rare and only occurs three times in connection with people loving people. All three times in happens in the context of vengeance. It carries this idea of this being a choice in relation to one who has wronged you -- your enemy. This word was also used in reference to loving God -- love it seems is a choice. Our choice then is, will we love God? This is an important question as Dorothy Day reminds us when she says, “You can only love God to the extent you love the person whom you love the least.”