Showing compassion, serving others, sharing with each other, going extra miles are few of the examples of the acts that we do out of love.
But when it comes to our enemies, how easy it is to obey the commandment, “Love your ENEMIES?”
Throughout this week we read about the power of love and what love can do. Do we have that same belief in love when we consider reconciling with our enemies? I thought and thought over it but didn’t really get a satisfactory “YES” from within while answering this question.
When we see our enemy in the grocery store as we enter, do we walk out of it or just smile at them or say a simple “hi” and then go our way?
When we are in the same train, on the same boggy with our enemies travelling together how do we react? Do we travel happily after seeing them or try our best to convince the TTE to change our seats from there? Also sometimes do we silently wish, “if my friends were here I could have taught him a lesson today” ?
I remember a scripture portion on this very issue which says, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends… on the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’”
What does this “heap of burning coals” mean? Definitely the meaning is not in the literal sense of it. Then what does it mean? Does it refer to causing problems to our enemies or teaching them the best possible lesson? Is it kind of a “mithi chhuri” as we say in Hindi? I don’t think so.
It is a feeling of Penitential Compunction – A deep sense of realisation or guilt feeling that ‘how a person takes care against such a rude & ruthless behaviour or enmity’.
It’s not easy but it’s not impossible either to let the miracles of love happen between enemies.
I love the sight of Indian & Pakistani players walking, talking, smiling or playing together despite of all the hard feelings that they have against each other politically.
‘Miracles of Love’ are possible even between enemies when one of them takes a radical step. When it really happens between enemies the tagline for them changes from “The Enemies” to “Once Enemies, Now Friends.”
Keep reading, keep thinking and keep searching for the opportunity to feed and give a drink to your enemies…
Stay blessed!
Author’s Bio: Chiradeep Patra is a finance man who works in a NGO at Kolkata. He is a writer, motivator & counselor.
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