If someone says something mean to you, is it a requirement that you say something mean back? No, it’s not. That would be a choice.
If someone is hateful toward you, is there an obligation for you to be hateful back? No. That again, would be a choice.
Jesus Christ said, “Love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44). This instruction doesn’t mean we allow ourselves to be abused by enemies. It is guidance on how to retain a consciousness of Love that thinks clearly in the face of evil. When our thought is clear, and not thrown off balance by hate, we can respond to our enemies in a way that keeps us in a position of dominion and authority, rather than weakness and vulnerability.
If we allow another person to make us mad and angry, our enemy is winning the battle. Their evil thoughts are becoming our evil thoughts, and evil thoughts are blind and weak.
Stay strong! Stick with Love and retain authority.
We are under no obligation to return hate for hate. We can return love, which produces the better effect for everyone involved.
So true! Thanks Evan!
Thanks Evan. We are indeed under no obligation to return hate for hate. Neither should we be mean to those who are mean to us. We should indeed respond with love in these two situations. Come to think of it, it is easier to respond with love because the burden of hate and meanness towards each other is too heavy to carry. Love always prevails and transforms the unwilling lovingly too before they know it. That transformation is Christ driven, and thank God he is present in each of us.
This is quite helpful; thank you, Evan. So many of my friends are struggling this week to regain their mental balance, and our Master’s instructions in the Sermon in the Mount is precisely the lifeline we all need. Obedience brings peace; the battle for our consciousness isn’t ours, it’s God’s. Praise Him that the victory is already won . We must claim and protect it.
I Like that, “Obedience brings peace.” Thank you, it does.
Hate begets hate, but Love begets Love divine.
Thank you Evan for this very helpful reminder.
This is not only highly instructive, Evan, but a very beautiful sentiment. It’s easy, at times, to think we are stronger by returning anger and hate. But the opposite is true. When we do so, we’re weakening our spiritual position. By returning love for hate, we stay strong and on the right side of God’s law.
Thank you, Evan, for providing this wonderful, concise lesson.
Your words clarify for me how to balance what I previously viewed as a conflict in thought : that is the temptation of not descending to the mortal level in order to mount a defense, contrasted with “rolling over” in order to not engage at that level in the pursuit of “loving the enemy.”
I see your shift in perspective, as you showed previously this week, “…seek the highest point of view. God’s point of view!” And that reveals my error in how I perceived a situation and my position in it, due to my prior failures to include the consciousness of Love. This is a great lesson !
John B
I so needed this today! Thanks from the bottom and top of my heart dear Evan. Someone, who I thought was a friend, sent me a very ugly political meme last night. Rubbing my nose in my political choices and insulting me and the politicians. I thought about shooting back an “appropriate” equally nasty retort. I decided not too; but had a very sleepless night thinking of all of the things I could or should say in response or questioning if I should totally ignore it and severe any connection with this person, Some peace came with thinking about the Church Manual bylaw “A Rule for Motives and Acts”: “Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church. In Science, divine Love alone governs man; and a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuking sin, in true brotherliness, charitableness, and forgiveness. The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously.” Your post this morning helped immensely to Evan! I’m working on forgiveness.
Thank you! I’ve never felt cozy with the church manual, This particular by-law seemed like the best part about it though. Now it has a whole new meaning to me.
Sharon,
That bylaw is so wise and it is wonderful you were directed to it.
I saw a billboard on Wednesday saying something to the effect that the person who voted differently from you is your neighbor. MBE’s Taking Offense article also is very wise.
Thank you Evan. We do have a choice and it is best to make a wise choice. A good reminder! 🙂
Thank you Evan and everyone. This is a lovely perspective of a Spirit View in action.
Regarding thoughts shared above about the election, I believe some in the US may
feel wrongly guided by so many lies that have been told .. that it would seem “normal”
to be upset. However when the Truth is exposed and realized … those false claims that
were told over and over and That seemed real, will be understood, as in the past, to be
untrue and real unity and healing, of our nation, along with more respect for each other
and around the world, more prosperity, more peace, more harmony, and more Love,
will be experienced and expressed. As with any healing, sometimes we need to
“see the light” and through a different lens than what mortal (little) minds tell us or are
perceived. Then divisions are Truly understood and can be healed through this divine
Love.
Angel,
We always have to be wise and be able to discern lies from truth. We cannot settle for a convenient peace. Benjamin Franklin once said we have given you a republic, if you can keep it. That means it is a work in progress. But your neighbor isn’t the enemy, the lies in the system are and it is a good idea to be able to discern that. Although sometimes it is easy to forget that.
I agree with you, Kirsten … it is mortal mind that is always the error. The
Truth/God is what unifies and brings together Peace in every sense of the
word, where there are no enemies, no revenge or violence or anything
that would disrupt our God-given reality. It helps to heal a divided country,
a divided world or any division between neighbors … restores peace to
the Middle East, Europe, restores harmony to a world that desperately is
in need of it, with Understanding of each other. Mrs. Eddy writes, S&H
pg 97, “It requires courage to utter truth; for the higher Truth lifts her voice,
the louder will error scream, until its inarticulate sound is forever silenced
in oblivion. “He uttered His voice, the earth melted.” This Scripture
indicates that all matter will disappear before the supremacy of Spirit”.
God’s Love is a lasting and permanent Peace and who wouldn’t want that?
People being mean and hateful is a cry for help. What do you do when someone is asking for help?
This is a good question Roger. I agree that if someone is behaving in a mean or hateful way they are in need of help/love, no one behaves that way if they are feeling peaceful, happy and loving inside. They need prayer to see that hateful and mean is not who or what they truly are as God”s reflection, prayer for their inner peace in God, which will naturally flow outwards towards others. We are taught not to personalize error. We can affirm that God never created qualities like hatefulness or meanness and try not to attach it to the person.
Thank you Rose. I love your last sentence. It is so important not to attach evil to a person Thinking this way precludes reacting in a way we will regret instead of responding with love..
Thank you Evan for this very important guidance: “Jesus Christ said, “Love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44). This instruction doesn’t mean we allow ourselves to be abused by enemies. It is guidance on how to retain a consciousness of Love that thinks clearly in the face of evil. ” I am grateful for all the comments put forth. Very healing and good to keep close.
I agree, Rose, that…it is not a person, but it is a belief in something that seems
hateful and mean, but sometimes is only something not understood in a
point of view that is different. The Truth of God/Love is forever present even in
times of disagreement. Roger, I think the important thing is to listen to
others and to try to understand each other. Without understanding, often
what seems to be issues, really are just mis-understandings and when known,
can be perceived and interpreted in another way, hopefully in some way
dissolving the differences.
Thank you Evan.
God’s Love is unconditional.
Thamk you dear Evan. To hate someone is to be blind to the truth about them. So “why stand aghast at nothingness?” MBE. The lies have been exposed for people to see and now we will have “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” But it is GOD who governs all the people through those who love Him.
Thanks me Mimi
Back to the source ,is the end and beginning of all challenges no matter where we are on the map, because The Spirit. God the infinite source, NEVER leave the map. So we are all save to face the new challenges.
Sorry Mimi, i didnt say: z”thanks me Mimi”
But “Thanks Mimi”
“If we allow another person to make us mad and angry, our enemy is winning the battle. Their evil thoughts are becoming our evil thoughts, and evil thoughts are blind and weak.” As I read this, I saw that “our enemy” is not the other person – it’s mortal mind, whose thoughts are blind, weak, and always false.
I needed this reminder today. Thank you, Evan, and all who share their Spirit-led thoughts. <3
Hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love. Martin Luther King