Bandaged Hands With Love… Hello weekend readers. I am musing on enemies, what to do with them, how to find a common ground, and so much more. My reason for this musing at this end of January is prolific: out of 31 days, 28 days around the entire USA had nothing but calamity, bigotry, shootings, prosecution, and so much more. Talk about evil—it slaps you right on the face.

What is happening to us? This is not what God wants but it seems what we want whether God likes it or not. Below is a true story from Corrie Ten Boom, with permission from her book called Reflections of God’s Glory. If you don’t have this, get it! I think every one of us who believe in the Lord should read this book and take it to heart when our hearts are so broken in our families, friends, and society.

Corrie Ten Boom shared the story of a Christian man she met in Africa. Here is what happened: Thomas, a devout Christian in Africa, lived across from a neighbor who intensely hated him and his faith. The neighbor began setting fire to Thomas’s straw roof at night, endangering his family. Each time, Thomas put out the fire without saying a word of anger, which only fueled the neighbor’s hatred. One night, a strong wind spread the flames from Thomas’s roof to the not-so-nice-neighbor’s house. And here is where radical love comes in: Thomas first extinguished the fire on his own home and then rushed to save the neighbor’s house, badly burning his hands and arms in the process. Other neighbors told the chief of the tribe what had happened. The chief was so furious that he sent his police to arrest the neighbor and throw him into prison.

Corrie told Thomas that “It is good that this man is now in prison, now your children are no longer in danger.” But Thomas said “That is true, but I am sorry for that man. He is an unusually gifted man and now he must live together with all those criminals in a horrible prison.” So Corrie and Thomas prayed. Thomas dropped to his knees and holding up his burned and bandaged hands, he said, “Lord, I claim this neighbor of mine for You. Lord, give him his freedom and do the miracle that in the future he and I will become a team to bring the Gospel in our tribe. Amen.” And that is exactly what he did; he broke down prison walls and shared the Gospel of Christ and the men took Jesus into their hearts. It changed them and their families and the entire tribe. Later on, Corrie told Thomas “You see, God has worked a miracle. We never can expect too much from Him.” He left, running off down the path, his face beaming with joy.”

The story is truly about the act of selfless love and forgiveness, even toward our enemies!

In Matthew 5:43–47 [MSG] Jesus says: “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.”

Christ’s call to “love your enemies” isn’t one that’s easy. But, when love that surpasses all understanding is shown to those who deserve it least, God does some incredible things! So we must love our enemies even when it’s hard. We can’t do it on our own, but God will help us when we need it! AMEN.