Love Your Enemies

          Having spent the last 37 years of my life living in our small town of less than 800 people, it is rare for me not to know someone either by face or by their face, name and family ties. I often see folks when I am walking my dogs or taking my grandchild, Ellie, for a walk in her stroller. A few weeks ago, while walking the dogs down a one-lane back road, I saw an acquaintance barreling down the road towards us. I quickly pulled the dogs over into the grass and stood still, waiting for the man to pass us by. The man stopped his car right next to me, rolled down his window and began cursing and calling me names I'd not been called since I stopped teaching high school students with behavior disorders. His tirade included threats to hurt the dogs. When I asked what was the matter, calling the person by his name, he threw his car into park and jumped out of it coming towards me. I was obviously dumbfounded and to tell the truth, a bit shaken. I apologized to the man for whatever had so angered him, addressing him again by his name. When he got back into his car, I told him to tell his mother that I said hello and turning my back to him, began to walk towards home.

          When I got home, I gave a great deal of thought to what had happened on that back road. I wasn't afraid, wasn't angry, just perplexed. So many thoughts ran through my head. Had something terrible just happened in the man's life? Had he had an argument with someone? Had he taken some wrath-inducing drug? Had he had too much to drink? What had so provoked him that my dogs and I caught his wrath? I had known the gentleman for over 30 years. He and my husband went to school together from kindergarten through high school. I taught the man's brother and was present at his brother's funeral after he unexpectedly died of an undiagnosed heart defect. I had visited the man's mother when she has been ill. But most importantly, I had never had a cross word with the man until that early evening on the back road. The person in that car was not the same person I had known those three decades.

          I am sure to see the gentleman in town for I usually see him at the post office or talking to folks on Main Street. As I have thought of the next time our paths cross, my first  inclination is to avoid him, to walk the other way, to completely ignore him. He threatened me, cursed me and threatened to kill my dogs. He had ranted and raved and then exploded out of his car to intimidate me. Why on earth would I want anything to do with him? Why? Because Jesus  said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be children of your father in heaven; for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good; and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous."

          I am sure there have been times in my life when I have not been very righteous, either through my thoughts, words or deeds. I feel fairly certain I have persecuted others in order to get what I have wanted or simply to get my way. Afterall, isn't that what we do when we sin? I know I would much prefer to have second, third, and several other chances than to be shunned and marked as an enemy. I don't know when the next time will be that I will see the man, who was so filled with anger and rage that evening on that quiet back road, but I know I must give him another chance and show him kindness. Perhaps in return, he will show me kindness as well.

Life in the Fast Lane

          Sitting in traffic on my way to visit a hospitalized parishioner yesterday, I heard the Eagles' song Life in the Fast Lane blaring from the car alongside mine. I sat there, alone in my car, singing along with the song. I later thought about the complexities of my brain, a brain that usually cannot remember all the items on my grocery list (usually left sitting on the kitchen counter), but can recall the lyrics from a song released in 1976.

          Last night, I again thought about the song. Our culture certainly lives life in the fast lane. -It seems technology brings about changes on a nearly daily basis. Our lifestyles often encourage us to hustle and bustle around, leaving us little time for ourselves or one another. Are we running to something, running  away from something, or dashing about because that's what our culture tells us we should  be doing?

          I have heard so much chatter about some of the decisions released by the US Supreme Court over the past week. People either seem to love the Affordable Health Care Act, or despise it. Folks are either in favor of the Death Penalty or vigorously oppose it. People are either celebrating over the right for gays and lesbians to marry or are loathe to accept it. I don't believe I have ever before been witness to such opposing opinions on so many topics at one time.

          I am simply not a fan of life in the fast lane. Oh, perhaps I was at one time. But now, the lure of my quiet sunroom and back yard where the chirping of birds, the babbling language of a 14 month old and the quiet snuffling sounds of sleeping dogs lure me on an almost daily basis. My prayer book sits beside my favorite chair, the place where I sit for Morning Prayer and Compline. Without a doubt, I prefer living in God's lane, rather than the fast lane for in God's lane, only the best is desired for each of us- those able to afford good health insurance, those who cannot afford health insurance, those who follow and to to keep the Commandments and those who do not, those who are wed to a partner of the same sex and those whose love of their lives happens to be someone of the same sex. I indeed find my greatest peace and joy comes when I am in God's lane.

Amen