There was barely enough space between me and the Subaru Outback station wagon just in front of me.

But apparently the guy driving the grey Honda Civic there on my left interpreted the phrase “barely enough space” a bit differently than I did. To him it clearly meant, “Come on over!” 

And so, he did.

No. There was not an accident. No, I did not have to slam on my brakes or swerve onto the median to avoid a collision. In fact, if I were under oath here, I would have to tell you I barely had to slow down at all to allow Mr. Grey Civic to squeeze over in front of me.

Nevertheless, it was an annoying move which caused me to mutter unkind things and think unkind thoughts about this total stranger on Harmony Road. 

What’s more, I kept scowling and fuming about Grey Civic’s bad manners for at least another mile after my “incident.”

The question I ask you today is: WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

The sermon Joan and I heard Sunday at church centered around the saga of Joseph and his journey from being hated and reviled by his own brothers in Israel to becoming the second most powerful man in the nation of Egypt. Following a tearful reunion many years later with these dastardly brothers, Joseph forgave their hatred and vindictiveness with these famous words from Genesis 50:20 – “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good…” 

The pastor pointed out the parallels between this Genesis story and Jesus’ teaching to “love your enemies…” (Matthew 5:44, NRSV). He then went on to assert that loving one’s enemies is the hallmark command of the Christian faith and a tenet that is unique in the annals of world religions.

I am really not sure what happened during the rest of the service because from that point on, I was blasted off into my own world of cogitation and reflection. 

“Enemies?” I asked myself. “Is there anyone today that I would actually call an ENEMY?”

I continued; “I mean sure, there are a lot of people who annoy the living daylights out of me. Like Civic Man, for example. Or that neighbor who has the most wildly misguided political beliefs possible. Or the cashier who really couldn’t care less that I shopped in her store today.”

“But can I really call any of those people my ENEMY? For that matter, what would a person have to do to earn that title anyway?”

And before I came up with an answer for that question, along came this zinger: “OK. Even if I translate the word ‘enemy’ to something more down-to-earth like, ‘gigantic pain in the butt,’ what in the world does it mean to LOVE that person???” 

“I mean, LOVE the rude lane-changer who cost me two seconds on my trip to the dentist? You can’t be SERIOUS!!!”

But Jesus, in that wise, and thoroughly annoying way of his, just looks me straight in the eye and says, “Yep. Even that guy.”

He continues, “Russell, Russell, Russell. How many times have you listened to my story and yet still haven’t figured this out? Do I need to remind you that I was betrayed, arrested, beaten mercilessly, and executed in the most horrible way possible and yet still LOVED every person who laid a hand on me?”

“THAT,” he added, “Is the kind of love I am calling you to. Sure, you will fall short of that standard every single day. But I will keep loving you and forgiving you and yet calling you to that standard day after day after day.”

“Chin up, bro,” he added. “You can do it. I have faith in you. Not because you’re ‘all that,’ but because the same Father who created me also created you.”

So maybe this whole “loving your enemy” thing doesn’t have to be rocket science. 

Maybe it can start with praying for and extending unearned kindness toward Grey Civic Guy. 

Abundant blessings;