Loving My Political Enemy - Part 4 - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

It is especially tempting with political figures to give into cynicism and hatred. And to be clear, sometimes they deserve both. Following Jesus is not about giving people what they deserve. I’ll say that again. Following Jesus is not about giving people what they deserve. Following Jesus is about insisting on the belovedness of every human being.  

I know I said I wasn’t going to talk about Lent, but earlier this week was Ash Wednesday, the day that begins the Lenten season. And at the beginning of the Ash Wednesday service, we say a prayer that includes this phrase: God, you hate nothing you have made.  

God hates nothing they have made. So how can I love more like God loves?  

When it comes to political figures it can begin with sincere and consistent prayer, but it does not end there. When it comes to those in civil authority, I believe it is essential to acknowledge that part of loving them is holding them accountable. Loving them does not have to mean agreeing with them, liking them, or rooting for them. They are meant to represent us.  

Now may be a good time to say that resistance and protest are not inherently anti-love. They are often healthy ways to hold those in authority accountable to the fact that they were made in the image of God and they ought to act like it. Likewise, so-called civility is not always loving. Sometimes it’s a hollow politeness that papers over festering division and evil political acts. 

Loving my political enemy is not about rolling over and playing dead: it’s about finding strength in my conviction that God’s desire is for all humans to treat each other with respect and dignity. When I allow my ability to treat others with respect to be dictated not by God’s command but by the behavior of my enemy, I am not paying attention to God, and I am not paying attention to my own wellbeing.