Enemies

"Love your enemies" -Jesus

It's something I've heard at church since I was very young. It's one of the most revolutionary teachings the world has ever witnessed. And, until yesterday, I totally forgot it.

My tirade about the... offensive actions and undesirable qualities about a certain upperclassman yesterday was gently interrupted. And I was urged to pray for him. Wow.

Before I came to USAFA, my personal "enemy" list hadn't been started yet. Of course there were people I mildly disliked, but nobody made the enemy list. USAFA changed that though. The lies on top of lies, the endless regulations, the inefficiency, the inhumanity, the collectivism, they all aroused my hatred. I'm learning that the hardest thing I have forgiving is, well... supporting and being part of the system, especially unequivocally. The more unequivocal the support, the more I loathe them. In my book, it's probably the best way to dehumanize oneself.

However, all of the people who make up that system were made in the image of God. Much as I loathe their decisions and creation, as much as they are my enemies, I'm supposed to... love them. I don't think I can do that. Especially the part of love that involves trust. I don't trust them. Frankly, I have very few friends here of my own choice.

So, I'm going to try at very least to pray for these people, and try to keep the whole "praying for your enemy = heaping hot coals on their head" verse out of my mind. Rage against the machine, while somewhat unavoidable it seems, needs to be controlled.