61‘But I say to you,’ says the Lord, ‘love your enemies ... do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you’ (Matt. 5:44). Why did He command this? To free you from hatred, irritation, anger and rancor, and to make you worthy of the supreme gift of perfect love. And you cannot attain such love if you do not imitate God and love all men equally. For God loves all men equally and wishes them ‘to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth’ (1 Tim. 2:4).

St. Maximus the Confessor Four Hundred Centuries on Love: #61

Sorry for the gap in posting reflections. Over the next few months we will continue our journey through our first century on love while I also share as I am able reflections from my sabbatical. I hope you will continue to enjoy these and if you ever have questions please do not hesitate to reach out.

In the teachings of Christ, there lies a profound challenge, a call to transcend the natural inclinations of the human heart and embrace a higher law—the law of perfect love. "But I say to you," says the Lord, "love your enemies... do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you" (Matt. 5:44). This commandment is not merely a moral directive; it is a transformative invitation to step into the boundless love of God.

Imagine a coral reef, teeming with a diverse array of plants and animals, each representing a soul in the tapestry of human existence. In this biome, some will  thrive in the sunlight of mutual affection, while others grow thorny and tangled, seemingly at odds with the beauty around them. Yet the creator, in his infinite wisdom and patience, tends to each organism with equal care, knowing that every living thing has its place and purpose.

Christ’s call to love our enemies is akin to the work of our creator. By loving those who hate us, by doing good to those who harm us, and by praying for those who persecute us, we participate in the divine act of cultivating the coral array of humanity. This selfless love serves to free our hearts from the chains of hatred, irritation, anger, and rancor, which only serve to darken our souls and separate us from God.

To attain the supreme gift of perfect love, we must imitate the divine example set before us. For God, in His infinite mercy and compassion, loves all equally. He desires that all souls be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). This divine love is not conditional or selective; it is a universal embrace that reaches out to every corner of creation.

Consider the image of the sun, which shines impartially upon all the earth, bestowing its warmth and light without distinction. It does not withhold its rays from the thornbush or the barren rock but offers its life-giving energy to all. In the same way, we are called to love without discrimination, to extend our compassion even to those who have wronged us.

In practicing this divine love, we transform not only our own hearts but also the world around us. We become conduits of God’s grace, channels through which His perfect love flows into the broken and hurting places of our lives and communities.

Therefore, let us take up the challenge of Christ’s commandment. Let us strive to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, and to pray for those who mistreat us. In doing so, we free ourselves from the destructive forces of hatred and anger and become worthy recipients of the supreme gift of perfect love.

May we, through our actions and prayers, reflect the boundless love of God, and may we contribute to the flourishing of the divine reef, where every soul finds its place in the light of God’s truth and love.