Greater love is loving your enemies

In the hall of my parents’ church in Crosskeys South Wales are two memorial tablets remembering the dead of the First World War who had attended that chapel. And on one of the tablets is this verse of scripture:

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13 (KJV)

It is a verse I have seen quoted on many war memorials and of course it seeks to tie in the sacrifice of men (and women) who have died serving their country and the people of that country. Of course the words were spoken by Jesus in the time leading up to his crucifixion. He is telling the disciples that he will die for them and for their sins, so that they might have eternal life.

But equally it was a reminder to the disciples that some of them would die themselves. They would die for proclaiming the gospel and for living the gospel out. They would die out of love for other people.

A few days ago I saw a story on the BBC news web site that brought this verse into a very up to date context.

The article told the story of an event that happened in 1996. A black teenager protected a white man from an angry mob who thought he supported the racist Ku Klux Klan. It was an act of extraordinary courage and kindness - and is still inspiring people today.

The Ku Klux Klan were holding a protest in the town of Ann Arbor Michigan. And although the Klan could only muster a small number of people, a large crowd gathered to protest against the Klan’s racist views. Among the crowd was 18 year old Keisha Thomas.

At one point someone in the crowd of anti-racism protestors noticed a middle aged man sporting a racist T shirt and racist tattoos including one symbolising the Nazi party’s SS. The crowd turned on the man and started to chase him. The man tripped and people started to set upon him. But this is where Keisha Thomas stepped in.

The black teenager was appalled at the violence so she threw herself on top of the man to shield him – no doubt saving his life.

She has since said she was motivated by her religious beliefs and by knowing what it was like herself to be on the receiving end of violence.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24653643

None of us would want to have to do what Keisha Thomas did. And I suppose I have to ask myself whether I’d have the courage to do what she did. But what makes her story the more remarkable was that she was prepared to do what she did for a potential enemy.

Jesus said:

43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbour[a] and hate your enemy.” 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matthew 5: 43 – 44 (NIV)

Perhaps that is one of the hardest things we are called to do. Love our enemies.

(The photograph I've used was taken by Mark Brunner who was a student at the time.)