Newsletter 23 February 2014

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Newsletter 23rd February 2014

Newsletter-23-February-2014

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES?

Quite a tough gospel and first reading today. We like sometimes to get our own back.. “I’ll get you back for that”. We know the vengeance of our own country… political and family. Eye for eye… brings no peace but a quiet lull in violence.

And we know the opposite. People see the enemy walking the street and know that the only way forward is to make peace. Maybe not even forgiveness. Some can find a way forward gradually.

The forgiveness of the gospel is a slow journey. We have the small hurts and have ways of dealing with them. But the big ones are there too of injustice, getting a job over someone with a lie, being abused, family being mocked, bullying. Time heals and prayer helps… can you bring someone to God – to the cross. Pray with someone at the cross; it makes a difference.

A final word about loving the self – we need to allow this. The love of God is the love which helps us love the self. In the normal hurts and grievances of life we can be healing people if we love ourselves. We are people who often hate the self for our addictions, big and small faults and a past that may haunt us.

The love of God is a grace… filling that space open to love and hatred for ourselves in our hearts… the grace of loving self and other.

Be perfect… become like God… holy like God in compassion and in love. This is a wonderful vision for ourselves, our church and our world. The dream of God that all God’s children live in love, peace and justice.