Fellow Travelers ~ Closing

Greetings Dear Reader,

We travel with others whether we wish it or not.  From the lifelong journey with family to falling in step with someone in line for buying groceries, we encounter people.  They journey with us and we have the opportunity to be good to them.

I realize that it can be much more complex than this.  That does not mean that there is not the opportunity to be kind in every moment.  We all have failings that grind on the nerves and feelings of others.  If we hope for others to overlook them and be kind to us, we must be active in doing the same. 

The joy in our journey is found in discovering the unique beauty in every fellow traveler.  They all have something to teach us and we have lessons to learn.  Their gifts and ours can combine to make the world better one encounter at a time.  I must be vigilant to do my part.  I must look for the needs of my fellow travelers. 

We are intended to love each other as we travel together.  We are meant to take care of each other.  The needs we see are our responsibility.  I find so much richness in the infinite diversity of my fellow travelers.  As I move on down the path I hope that I can give as good as I get.  You, Dear Reader, are always welcome to walk with me. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

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Fellow Travelers ~ Where are We Headed

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am aware that all of you do not believe the same things that I believe.  It makes me grateful that you travel with me despite our differences.  I have said before that we are all on a journey back to God. 

Since I believe this is true of all of us, it becomes vital to understand how I treat my fellow travelers.  I am not sure what the clearing at the end of the path looks like. I am sure that when I get there I will have to account for how I treated my fellow travelers.  What I said and what I did will be measured as to their value.

This does not mean that I have to earn or merit my place with Christ.  That is not possible.  I am unable to earn redemption.  No one can earn redemption.  One cannot buy the love of someone who already loves completely and unconditionally.  It is just not possible.

We are headed to the end of things not being good.  We are unable to get there on our own.  We are supposed to help; each other get there.  This is accomplished by loving the one we follow and by loving our fellow travelers. 

Where we are headed does not tolerate hatred or evil.  It is good.  I must, therefore, be good.  I must live my love for Christ by loving my fellow travelers.  We carry a cross along the way but are promised joy at the end of the journey.  That has to be enough for me to keep traveling with others showing them love and compassion along the way.

Pilgrims to the City of God – Michael Card

Pilgrims of passion we follow the One

Who holds out a cross and a crown

We travel a dark road that has but one Light

For we have here no lasting town

Sometimes we run by the power of His might

On our own at the best we can plod

What we hopefully look for is just beyond sight

We are pilgrims to the city of God

The stigma of strangers lost in a strange land

In a fallen world that's not our home

But we are not just homeless prodigals here

Because we have someplace to go

Sometimes we run by the power of His might

On our own at the best we can plod

What we hopefully look for is just beyond sight

We are pilgrims to the city of God

Behold you have come to Mount Zion

The City of Great King

To thousands and thousands of angels who've come

Assembled to joyfully sing, they sing

And sometimes we run by the power of His might

On our own at the best we can plod

What we hopefully look for is just beyond sight

We are pilgrims to the city of God

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

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Fellow Travelers ~ Walking not Standing

Greetings Dear Reader,

Traveling implies movement.  We are on a journey and we travel together for a day, a moment, or a lifetime.  What matters is not what we carry or the speed at which we travel.  What matters is how we treat each other along the journey.

Instead of treating each other with love and respect, we lie, harm, and avoid each other.  We stand where our hurts and offenses have stopped us instead of walking together.  We become cemented into ways of thinking and acting that reject those who would travel with us.  This is what destroys friendships and families.

My Grandfather used to often say, “You do what you believe.  Everything else is just talk.”  He would also remind me when I would boast about what I was going to do, “Well you have the talking part done.”  

When we fail to do right by those around us we stop traveling with them.  We put them in doubt of our value of them as fellow travelers.  I fail to travel “with” someone when I do not show him or her the love, loyalty, and kindness I am obligated to show.  I stand in my own opinions when I should be walking with someone; listening and caring. 

When we fail to care for each other we collect baggage that slows us down or even stops us altogether.  If we truly believe that we are meant to travel together and care for each other, then we must do so.  We must be walking and not just standing.  We are fettered to the future and, therefore, cannot afford to stand in the prison of the past.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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Fellow Travelers ~ Compartmentalizing

Greetings Dear Reader,

We put our fellow travelers in boxes, or perhaps bubbles.  It would be difficult to travel in a box.  Still we compartmentalize our relationships into areas that are comfortable for us.

In some ways doing this is necessary.  One does not have the same relationship with everyone.  Some compartments are necessary and good.  Some are more important than others.  The trouble is that we also form compartments with fellow travelers that are unhealthy.

I had a co-worker once tell me that it is allowable to lie to another group of co-workers because they do not really understand the technology.  Since lying is inherently wrong to treat any fellow traveler this way is to create barriers and risk.  The other thing that it does is that it withholds love and kindness to someone for the purpose of gain. 

All of my fellow travelers are entitled to love and respect.  When I compartmentalize them into groups that do not get this I am harming everyone involved.  This extends to how I view those who disagree with me socially, politically, and in faith.  There are natural and chosen differences but none of them require me to compartmentalize my fellow travelers in a way that harms them.

The journey is difficult and we need each other.  If I relegate someone to a bubble of rejection then I lose out on the uniqueness of his or her gifts.  I miss out on the things they bring to the journey that I need. 

We need each other more that we admit.  I cannot travel alone.  Since I do not always know what I need, it is vital that I not ignore the potential of others.  It might be that their gifts fit my need in the moment.  Better still, it might be that my kindness can reach through the bubbles they create and help burst them.  That is always a beautiful thing.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

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Fellow Travelers ~ The Unlikable

Greetings Dear Reader,

On Thursday last week a friend told me that she feels like nobody really likes her.  I reminded her that I did like her and that I have a choice about it.  Her response was that I like everyone.  I am required to love everyone but not to like everyone. 

I am supposed to be kind to all humans.  I think that people confuse kindness with approval, agreement, and friendship.  I try to be friendly to everyone.  I will be friends with almost anyone who needs a friend.  I can disagree with you on most things and still be your friend.

The difficulty is that we are forgetting that there will be fellow travelers that we do not like.  As long as it is not based on some rejection of the person it is allowable to dislike someone.  I find it difficult to find people to dislike when it is not my own problem.  When I look at the genuine reasons for my dislike they are almost always based on my own preferences or prejudices. 

We form our opinions of people based on our standards.  If, however, we are obedient to the command to love everyone, it becomes difficult to justify dislike.  There it is.  We have to justify our dislike of our fellow travelers.  We have to have reasons that almost always turn out to be some social choice that we find unpleasant.

I never know their whole story.  I never know what my kindness and compassion toward someone can unveil.  Not everyone is “likeable” by our standards.  If we remove that filter we may find more in common than we realize.  No matter how I feel I am obligated to treat everyone with kindness. 

I have often found great beauty in the souls of those who I thought I did not like.  Once I set aside my own prejudices to walk with them a bit I found common footing.  If I am going to love everyone and be kind to them, I must look past my own preferences to the unique gift that everyone is to the world.  Each fellow traveler has something to teach me if I clear space to learn.  I have a choice about who I like.  I must always choose wisely. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contact for Aramis Thorn:

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Facebook      Google +     
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Kids BLOG

Novels on Amazon              
Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com 

Fellow Travelers ~ Aliens and Strangers

Greetings Dear Reader,

I was shopping at the local grocer last week.  I watched, amused, as a fellow shopper walked a circuit of two isles three times.  Moved to compassion I asked if she needed help finding something. 

Greeted with a radiant smile, she responded that she was trying to remember if she forgot something.  We chatted a moment about this common grocery store malady.  The shared laugh and interaction were met with kind gratitude for my caring enough to ask. 

As I was pondering this series on fellow travelers this moment reinforced the vital nature of the moments when we travel with those we do not know.  Whether it is standing in line to pay for my groceries or a conjunction of paths at the park, it is vital that we recognize the opportunity to share kindness with momentary fellow travelers. 

We are given the opportunity to, at minimum, be good to someone.  Sometimes, we are given the chance to make a difference in another life.  I have life-long friends that are in that position because one of us took the chance to just be kind to the other when we fell in step on the journey.

I am alive because a stranger saw me and had compassion when I was much younger.  As one who used to feed on anger and pain, dining on kindness and being good to others is much more satisfying.  I may never know what the outcome of my kindness to strangers is.  What matters is that when we share the path, that I am aware of the need to be kind live it out whilst we travel together.  When I do so I feel very good.  That is a good enough reason on its own.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Fellow Travelers ~ The Long Haul

Greetings Dear Reader,

In The Hobbit, as Thorin, Bilbo, and company are about to enter Mirkwood, Gandalf warns them, ” Stick to the forest-track, keep your spirits up, hope for the best, and with a tremendous slice of luck you may come out one day and see the Long Marshes lying below you, and beyond them, high in the East, the Lonely Mountain where dear old Smaug lives, though I hope he is not expecting you.”

He warns them not to stray from the path.  He explains that finding it once left is not an easy task.  The path was the safe way through though.  It was the way in and the way out.  Then the path became their reality and they forgot its goodness.  “But they had to go on and on, long after they were sick for the sight of the sun and of the sky, and longed for the feel of wind on their faces. There was no movement of air down under the forest-roof, and it was everlastingly still and dark and stuffy.”

Sometimes the road can seem long and we become weary.  We become tempted to try shortcuts, take a different path, or go it alone.  These things do not work.  The path is the path. It is narrow and hard to find again once we leave it.  Even when things are dank, dark, or suffocating the path is the place to be. 

As fellow travelers we are meant to be on the path.  We are designed to support and care for each other.  We are to keep each other on the path through love and encouragement.  The group of fellow travelers in The Hobbit failed to care for each other and got lost first in their own complaints and wants.  They were lost long in their minds before they ever set foot off the path.  They forgot that the path was the safest way through when they needed it most.  They forgot to keep each other on it.

The long road home will have place where we do not walk in the sun.  It will be Mirkwood at times.  We will feel like we are suffocating under the oppressive environment.  The truth is that the only way out is through.  The fellow travelers we have need encouragement to stay the path.  We do too.

It is in the caring for each other when the path is dark and dank that we realize the great value of fellow travelers.  We must not reject them when they come along side us and remind us that we need to stay the path.  We must not disregard them when they warn us not to dwell on our wants over keeping to the course.  We must encourage them when they need it as well.

I am sure that the dismal parts of the journey have much to teach me.  I am tempted to find a shortcut or blaze a new path altogether.  I have tried that before and failed. It is hardest when I get my eyes off of the journey, the purpose and only see the darkness and feel the humidity.  The long haul is weary but the only way out is through. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Fellow Travelers ~ The Vital Nature

Greetings Dear Reader,

'No Man is an Island' – John Donne

No man is an island entire of itself; every man

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe

is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as

well as any manner of thy friends or of thine

own were; any man's death diminishes me,

because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore, never send to know for whom

the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

When John Donne wrote that “no man is an island”, he was writing about death.  The bell that was tolling was the death bell he could hear from his sick bed.  When he told us to seek not for whom the bell tolls he reminds us that we all face death.

When we consider the fact that it is rare for someone to want to die alone, we must also consider that if this is to be prevented we need fellow travelers.  We need people who walk with us.  We need those who see us and value our part in the journey.  The makeup of our being is to connect and have community.

Pain and joy will be part of the journey.  We will travel through darkness and light.  We are not meant to do so alone., We need fellow travelers with whom we can share our joy and sorrow.  We not only benefit from sharing this but we give benefit to those with whom we share it.  It is the sharing of our pain and joy that brings us closer and makes us stronger.

The other aspect of this is perspective.  When we share our journey with fellow travelers we see that we are not the only ones who suffer or have joy.  We get the resounding reminder that we are not alone.  The first thing that the Father ever said was not good was that it is not good for man to be alone. 

The bell will toll for us one day.  We will reach the clearing at the end of the path.  The fellow travelers we have collected along the way will go on without anything of us but that which we shared with them whilst we walked together.  I want to be know for loving them.  I want to be remembered as someone who saw every encounter whether life-long or single serving as an opportunity to show kindness and love.  How about you Dear Reader?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Fellow Travelers ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Imagine for a moment your deepest fear.  Whatever it is, I want you to know that I care.  Since I have brought thoughts of it to the surface, I feel it only just that I tell you mine.  I feel it when I touch my oldest memory.  I am immersed in it almost daily. 

Ever since I can remember, being alone, especially at night fills me with almost debilitating fear.  I manage it most of the time.  I have spoken with counselors about this over the years and nothing really helps.  We cannot get at the root of what causes it. 

I cope in both good and bad ways.  Lately I have been coping in some ways that are unwise.  I am not doing anything that is dangerous for me physically but I have been exerting more control and that is not healthy.  I am not sure how long I need to navigate this path but I know that I need to do so.

We have so many fellow travelers along the journey.  Some are closer than others.  Some get close enough to help.  We fall out of step with some whilst falling in step with others.  Our need is to do the most good we can for each other whilst we are in step.

There are fellow travelers I miss.  There may be travelers who miss me.  I know that I have developed specific thoughts about the journey, community, and our inter-dependence that I want to solidify into something that I can keep with me as I continue.

The source of this is dark but in it I am seeking light.  I could use your company Dear Reader.  As always, your thoughts and questions are welcome.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Everything I needed to Know – Invisible Enemies

Greetings Dear Reader,

One of the great devices in Star Trek is that enemies have cloaking devices.  The enemy can hide in plain sight.  He can lay in wait for the moment that is right to attack and disarm us.  He can stalk us and destroy us.

In truth we do have hidden enemies as we journey home.  Whether it is the enemies of God who seek to destroy his creation or our enemies in society we do have hidden enemies.  The more we work at being good and doing what is right the more we will draw the attention the enemies of good.

Unlike the fiction of Star Trek our enemies can attack whilst cloaked.  They can plot and scheme.  In some cases they can even destroy us without us knowing what was done to us.  In reality TV the blindside has become a device for winning.   In life being blindsided add betrayal to attack.

When this has happened to me it has done so much damage.  My choice is to learn, heal, and move on down the path.  My defense is not my own ability but rather that Christ promises to defend me. 

It sounds paranoid and a little delusional.  Sounding that way does not make it so.  It is the denial of unseen enemies and an all sufficient Saviour that endangers us.  The cloaked enemies in our lives will attack and try to destroy us.  It is only in clinging to Christ that I have any hope.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Loving My Enemies – Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

So who hates us Dear Reader?  Who wants to see us dead?  Are there people who wish to harm you physically or socially?  Since we are not allowed to declare others as our enemy we can only consider those who self-identify as such to be our enemies.

We are left to choose how we will treat those who treat us with contempt or hatred.  We are commanded to love our enemies.  Putting hands and feet on this requires both faith and will.  It demands that we go beyond passive forgiveness and grace. 

We must not resist an enemy but again that is not enough.  We must seek their well-being in prayer and action.  We must seek peace and if necessary make provision for their needs.  We must go beyond the human response and whenever we can embrace the divine one.

I must be ever kinder.  I must be more loving.  I must assure that all my actions move toward grace and peace.  There is no argument worth harming another.  There is no cause for which killing is the right answer.  I know that others will present circumstances where the human response seems logical or right.

I posit this:  what if as one Christ followers obeyed the command to pray for our enemies.  What are the possibilities?  Do we really believe that the Father will intervene?  As with all things it seems that loving our enemies becomes a matter of faith.  I welcome your thoughts Dear Reader.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Loving My Enemies – Be Perfect

Greetings Dear Reader,

Jesus ends the discussion with a reminder that we are to be perfect.   It seems that loving our enemies the way the Father wishes us to is to find completeness.  We are the most like him when we love our enemies. 

We cannot be perfect.  We are flawed and fallen.   We can constantly perfect our responses and actions to reflect love for anyone in our path.  The path or the journey back to the Father is always best defined by how we love others. 

It is not that we can be perfect like the Father.  Jesus wants us to see all things we do in light of the Father’s perfection.  The standard is the Father.  The truth is that as we all move back toward the Father we gain cohesion in the journey by loving others.   

That which perfects us is acting out of love.  That which makes us great is not power or possessions.  It is our love for each other.   It is our sacrifice and endurance in the name of love. What we need to collect is not enemies but perfected love.

I must refine my love of others.  I must refine my ability to show love to others no matter what the cost.  It is in this that I can show my faith and following.  How about your Dear Reader?  Will you take up the challenge?  Will you crush barriers with unconditional love of others?  Together we can accomplish much.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Loving My Enemies – Easy Love

Greetings Dear Reader,

Jesus asks us about those that already love us.  He makes it clear that even tax collectors love those who love them.  We see the struggles that exist between those who already love each other.  We see how difficult to live out grace and kindness to those who love us at times.

I know that I struggle with being loving at times.  The point, however, is that we should not expect to be rewarded for loving those who already love us.  This is a common human reaction.   Loving our enemies is something more than that.

It is never enough for me to repay good things in kind.  I must always escalate.  I must always look for new ways to show love and compassion.  I must never be satisfied with things being good enough.  It is never enough to love those who love me.  I must make the prime mover of all that I do love.

It is not enough to love those who love me.  I must do everything out of love even when it involves my enemies.  Even if I struggle with loving an enemy I must obey out of love for the Father.  How about you Dear Reader?  Any thoughts on better ways to love those who do not love you?  I would value them greatly.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Loving My Enemies – Equal Treatment Under Grace

Greetings Dear Reader,

After Jesus asks us to remember who our Father is he points out that the Father deals with all humans equally.  He sends the rain on everyone.  He sends the sun as well.  When we fail to acknowledge how dependent we are on the Father then we fail to see the breadth and depth of his provision.

It is in this recognition of provision that we see that we need to love everyone equally from the perspective of love for our fellow humans.  Whatever common provision we have is to be seen as a gift from the Father.  He also gives us the privilege of being able to love others. 

That love is designed to be unconditional and liberally given.  It is intended to be a benchmark of our faith and following.  It is intended to be our banner.  When we withhold love from anyone we forget the face of our Father.  We fail to be what we are created to be as his Children.

I must never forget that all that I have is a gift from the Father.  I must remember just how much I need love.  How can I fail to gift the same to others freely and without hesitation?  It is in showing love to others without consideration for who or what they may be that I can learn just how much the Father endures to be loving to me.

This extends to those who hate me.  It includes those who wish me harm and death.  Even now I have to fight the list of exceptions that my mind wishes to conjure.  My nature wishes me to make exception for the extreme and the personal.   Neither are listed in Christ’s command.  I must let love fall on the just and the unjust. 

Friends, family, neighbors, strangers, barbarians, aliens, and enemies:  I must love them all.  How about you Dear Reader?  Who do you need to love more fully?  Until I see the rain falling only on the just it must be this way.  When I do see the rain falling on those who “deserve” it I will have to remember who to ask for some water.

All Good Gifts – Godspell

We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land..

But it is fed and watered by God's almighty hand..

He sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain...

The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain...

All good gifts around us

Are sent from Heaven above

Then thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love...

We thank thee then, O Father, for all things bright and good,

The seedtime and the harvest, our life, our health, our food,

No gifts have we to offer for all thy love imparts

But that which thou desirest, our humble thankful hearts!

All good gifts around us

Are sent from Heaven above..

Then thank the Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love..

I really wanna thank you Lord!

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Loving My Enemies – Living our Lineage

Greetings Dear Reader,

In the Dark Tower Series by Stephen King when Roland speaks of doing something wrong he refers to his lineage.   He speaks that those who do wrong have “forgotten the face of their father.”

One of the sub-themes that is a constant in following Christ is the benchmark of faith.  The benchmark is love.   Because we are to be recognized by our love for one another we are required to do so as the Father would. 

When we obey the command to love our enemies we are giving evidence that we are children of the Father.  It is vital that we consider how much the Father loves us.  If we withhold the possibility that he loves even what we consider the vilest humans then we do not understand him properly. 

Jesus made it clear that we are to be recognized as his followers by our love for each other.  That love is to extend to everyone.  That love is to be unconditional and sacrificial.  This is the example that the Father sets.   This is the example that Christ gives.

In living out love for our enemies we evidence that we are children of the Father.  How about your Dear Reader?  What are your thoughts on this?  How do we love our enemies?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Loving My Enemies – Cloaks, Miles, and Turning Cheeks

Greetings Dear Reader,

So Jesus has been clear concerning the nature of his command to love an enemy.  We need to remember that we have entered the conversation in the midst of things.  This teaching is part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus expressed the core of how we should live as his followers through example.

Other instructions have already been given that lead to the requirement to love our enemies.  During this time a Roman soldier could conscript someone to carry his pack a mile outside the city.  Jesus is telling us to carry our enemies’ burdens further than required.  We are to go from requirement to giving.  Imagine the impact on a soldier when you ask him to allow you to carry your pack further and in exchange tell you about his home.  If we seek to understand people with a pure heart they will begin to understand Christ.

In our litigious society Jesus’ statement bout law suits is a bit alarming.  He instructs that if someone sues us for our cloak we are to give him our coat as well.  The components of this seem foolish to us.  They require us to remember that all we have is a gift from the Father and it will not hurt us to give.  Giving is always to be preferred over strife with someone.   This command reminds us also that people are much more important than possessions. 

So an enemy may compel us to labor for him.  He may go after our possessions.  He may even strike us in the face.  It is in that moment that we choose where we stand.  Violence against us does not have to breed more violence.  We cannot love an enemy if we are punching him in the face.  If someone hits me I am to offer him a second opportunity.  I am not supposed to fight back.

I think what we fail to see is that the spirit of this is extends to all interactions.  We should not be greedy.  We should help when asked with more than the required help.  We must not argue and strive.  We must indulge in treating others with lesser regard. 

If I am to truly love my enemy then his needs are important.  His demands for material things must be respected.  His aggression must be met with peace.  There is no alternative if I wish to be seen as a follower of Christ.   The second mile is always the one where we see the truth in the teaching.   I wonder Dear Reader if we really have the faith to walk it.  What do you think?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Loving My Enemies – Extreme Condition Three

Greetings Dear Reader,

Yes there is a third extreme condition.   Jesus also insists that I pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.  Prayer for others is simple enough.  It is asking the Father to work on behalf of others.  It is the kind of person he wishes for us pray that is challenging.

We need to unpack “despitefully use” and “persecute” if we want to understand the extremity of the condition.  It is in this that we find the need to be truly loving to obey the command.

Despitefully Use:

We translate this Greek word into two words in order to get is sense.  The meanings are complex:

1) to insult

2) to treat abusively, use despitefully

3) to revile

4) in a forensic sense, to accuse falsely

5) to threaten

Persecute:

The assumption of hostility is included in this definition.

1) to make to run or flee, put to flight, drive away

2) to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after, to press on: figuratively of one who in a race runs swiftly to reach the goal, to pursue (in a hostile manner)

3) in any way whatever to harass, trouble, molest one, to persecute, to be mistreated, suffer persecution on account of something

So Jesus is asking us to pray for, in a loving way, those who insult, revile, threaten, and falsely accuse us.  Furthermore, we are to do the same for those who actively persecute us.  We have enemies who wish to destroy us.  They are both internal and external.  They wish to harass, harm, and even kill us because of our faith.  

Many Christ followers do not understand what persecution is.  Sadly some do.  When Jesus was speaking he addressed people under Roman rule.  They did understand and knew the extreme nature of what he asks.

It is in this command that we find the necessity to forgive moment by moment so that we can pray for our enemies.  We must live in a constant state of grace toward them.  If Jesus is asking us to pray for those who would destroy us, and he is, how can we not do the same for those who persecute us politically or socially?

We must respond to every insult, accusation, and attack in the same way.  We must pray for those who revile us.  We must ask the Father to care for those who would destroy us.  I must infer from this that I must receive every form of negative engagement with love for those engaging me.  

In a world where following Christ is unpopular I must prove that I will love those who are my enemies no matter what the cost.  How about you Dear Reader?  Are you asking the Father to work in the lives of your enemies?   In pondering this extreme I realize that I must up my game here.  I must more actively pursue the Father on behalf of others who have rejected and even mock him.  I have commands yet to keep and prayers to make before I sleep.

As always I treasure your thoughts.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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Loving My Enemies – Extreme Condition Two

Greetings Dear Reader,

The second extreme condition is that we are to do good to those that hate us.   I know that here are people that hate me.  They are few but they exist.   I have a philosophy for this but before I get to that I would unpack what “do good”: means in this context and what hatred is as well.

First let us look at what Jesus means to do good:

1) of good constitution or nature

2) useful, salutary

3) good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy

4) excellent, distinguished

5) upright, honourable

Once again we must notice that this is not just holding the door for someone.  Our makeup must be geared toward doing what is good toward those who hate us.  We must be pleasant, agreeable, useful, joyful, and happy toward them.  We must act in an upright and honourable way toward them.  We even have to say hello.  We cannot ignore them. 

So how do we identify those who hate us?  This is usually quite easy.  The word used here refers to both those who pursue us with loathing and those who detest us from afar.  It is the active nature of loving our enemies that we must encompass hatred in good.

Jesus makes it clear that my offerings to the Father are not as important as peace with those who hate me.   I must actively be good to those who hate me.  I must see their needs and meet them where I can.  The barrier of hatred cannot withstand the type of love that Christ commands.

My Grandfather, when I would speak of those who disliked me would quote the following.  If I make it a life pattern it truly does work. 

He drew a circle that shut me out-

Heretic , rebel, a thing to flout.

But love and I had the wit to win:

We drew a circle and took him in. – Edwin Markham 

How about you Dear Reader?  I know that I must do whatever it takes to do good to my enemies.   Do you have any thoughts on making this practical?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)