But I say to you that listen, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as God is merciful. Luke 6:27-36
This is one of those passages that proves that we are all spin doctors when it comes to reading the Bible. It can’t possibly mean what it says, we tell ourselves. Or maybe we say, “love your enemies” is a high ideal and we should all try for it, but it’s just not feasible in some situations.
Where there is threat, we need to kill or we will be killed. So we tell ourselves.
Our video clip today features Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking. [show video, “Forgiveness and Reconciliation”]
Sister Helen Prejean speaks specifically in the context of capital punishment. She was drawn into prison ministry, beginning when she agreed to be a pen pal for a prisoner on death row, Patrick Sonnier, a convicted killer. Though she only intended to write a few letters and be of some comfort to Sonnier, God had other ideas. Over the years, Prejean would become very familiar with the horrible facts in the murders that Sonnier had committed. David LaBlanc and Loretta Bourque were his victims, two teenagers, parked at a “Lover’s Lane” remote area following a high school football game, when they were abducted, Loretta raped, then both were murdered.
Sister Prejean became a spiritual advisor to Patrick Sonnier, the killer, as he awaited his execution by the State of Louisiana for these crimes. Her relationship with him was not based on a presumption of his innocence. He was guilty. She was repulsed and horrified at Sonnier’s crime, as was anyone who knew of it. She simply believes that Jesus calls us to go deeper than just being charitable and friendly and kind. Awakening to the nature of the love of God meant to her that she must resist injustice. And she has responded with her advocacy for many years to have the death penalty overturned.
She has served as spiritual advisor to many men (and some women) on death row. She visits them before they die, helping them come to terms with the crimes they’ve committed (when possible), and accompanies them to their executions.
The existence of the death penalty reinforces a common belief in our society that redemption can come through violence. We think: killers deserve to die, it’s what we know to do. It is somehow honorable to kill people who have killed us; it’s the way you get things done finally; meet your enemies with the only language they understand; strike boldly and meet your enemy with force. Meanwhile we are one of the last nations in the world that still executes people for their crimes. We kill to show that killing is wrong.
The gospel, on the other hand, is counter cultural. Love your enemies. Do good to those who persecute you. Be merciful, as God is merciful.
Lloyd LeBlanc’s son, David was one of the teenagers Patrick Sonnier killed. And in Prejean’s memoir, Dead Man Walking, it is Lloyd LeBlanc's powerful example of forgiveness that most moved Sister Prejean. The father’s first reaction, as a parent whose son had been killed, was devastating grief, fear, anger, and outrage. But ultimately, he didn’t stay there. He told her, “Forgiveness is not something you do for another, but for yourself.” Lloyd LeBlanc said, “I knew how it felt to hate Patrick Sonnier; to call for the death penalty,” as he initially had. But eventually, he realized, “Patrick Sonnier killed my son. I will not let him kill me.” He found his way out of hate and bitterness; he saved his own life by not allowing himself to be turned over to hate.
Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Is that even possible for ordinary people like me and you? One thing I know, to forgive doesn’t mean that we don’t have feelings of revenge or hatred. It just means that we don’t have to stay there. God’s grace calls us to a new way of living. With God’s grace we can be loving persons and not wish harm to anyone, even those who have hurt us. With God’s grace we can be on the side of both victim and criminal.
Today is Palm Sunday. In the coming week, Christians see this call played out in the story of our faith, for after a life of love, Jesus will be arrested, tried and unjustly condemned, and then turned over to be crucified and his response will be, “God forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
To follow Christ means that we practice forgiveness. We are called to this deeper, wider love; a love that resists evil and injustice; a love that calls us to let go of our desire for revenge; to forgive.
Many of us have struggled with forgiving another person who has caused us pain. Maybe the offense was small and petty. Perhaps it was life-changing or devastating. We all have different journeys through forgiveness.
Remember, forgiveness is not saying that the incident that caused us pain never happened. It did. Forgiveness is not saying that everything’s ok. It isn’t. Forgiveness is not saying that we no longer feel the pain of the offense. We do. Forgiveness is not always reconciliation. We may want no further relationship with the person who’s hurt us and it may be essential to our emotional health that we not have a continued relationship.
Forgiveness is a feeling toward the person who hurt us, “I still feel the pain, but I am willing to let go of your involvement with my pain.” Forgiveness is an attitude of faith whereby we are able to turn over to God the business of how the person who hurt us is doing. It’s saying, “I am willing to let God deal with you, and I am willing to let go of my need to be the instrument of correction and rebuke in your life.” When we forgive, the wrong is remembered, but it no longer sets the agenda for our future or consumes our lives.
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. May we truly be followers of Christ, ordinary people who, with the help of God, live out the gospel of mercy.
Amen.
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