Enemies on the other hand are over there, they are the others. Socio-cognitively this is the in-group that one is a member of within the context of the Christ-followers. The command to love one another from the upper room discourse (John 13:34) highlights a specific construction of the group to be loved: we or us. In this framework we find a tension within the social groups defined through the horizontally relational commands of loving one another and loving one's enemies. In the Gospels we are given a tripartite set of love commands: love God, love one other, and love of enemy. However, as admirable as this new love ethic may be, there is an inherent tension within the construction itself. And that which was spoken by our Lord was fulfilled: “The time will come when whosoever kills you will think that he does God service.”’ ( Ep. ‘When these accusations were reported, all the people raged like wild beasts against us, so that even if any had before been moderate on account of friendship, they were now exceedingly furious and gnashed their teeth against us. Sadly, and all too commonly, the response to this new ethic was more like the persecution in Vienne and Lyon: While we take care not to imitate their conduct, let us be found their brethren in all true kindness and let us seek to be followers of the Lord.’ (Ign. and for their cruelty, manifest your gentleness. ![]() ‘Be meek in response to their wrath, humble in opposition to their boasting: to their blasphemies return your prayers. Nevertheless, in the 2nd century Ignatius writes to the church in Ephesus: It may be hard to grasp the outworking of this new ethic, especially with the gruesome pattern of persecution and martyrdom levelled at the early church. The reframing of enmity to incorporate love for the enemy was a radical concept – particularly in a world dominated by the 'peace' of an empire that came at the end of a sword. Into this setting we find a broad expansion of the commands of Torah – as summarised in Matthew 22:37-40 – to encompass those who would be considered enemies. Lest we think that this is something new, Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:43-47 responds to some of the same expression of group divides: 'Love your neighbour, and hate your enemy'. The general zeitgeist is one of increasing bifurcation and entrenching divides. Especially in our current context of COVID policies and protests over lockdown, the international news coming out of Afghanistan, and what feels like constant political tension and dispute. ![]() ![]() It seems we never have to look far to see examples of people and groups being defined as the 'enemy’.
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