"God doesn't like people like us!"

A while back I talked to an old friend from high school who has since left the church and is now very anti-catholic. During the course of our brief conversation when I was inviting him to attend a church retreat he replied rather passionately: "Don't you understand, God doesn't like people like us!"

This past weekend I kept thinking about Christ's command to love our enemies and how it seems to be missing and absent in modern Christian practice. I know that I have often been guilty of showing everything but love toward those who offend me.

LoveForSinners.org is dedicated entirely to fulfilling the command Christ gives us in Luke 6:27-36.

This is particularly important when it comes to the modern "Culture War" that we Christians now find ourselves in, but it is also important in our family and work life. It's important to remember Christ's command here anytime we come in contact with those who offend, ridicule, hate, or torment us.

I do not want to do anything to take away from these important battles that cross over the religious, cultural, and political realms. I definitely plan to continue to vote pro-life and pro-family in all future elections. I do believe though that it is critically important that we a Christians begin to put some focus on Christ's command to love those who don't love us back. It is a very difficult thing to do, but Christ commands it.

When I was young teenager I went with my parents to a pro-life event. It was a memorial service held outside an abortion clinic and lead by the bishop. There were about a dozen pro-abortion counter protesters a few feet away and the only thing separating us was a small plastic divider put up by the police. One of the pro-abortion protesters ran up and spit on me and then left the scene. It wasn't personal, I just happen to be standing nearest the barracade. I must admit that I did not react with Christian charity in this situation. As I look back though, this is precisely the type of situation Jesus is referring to. If we recall, the early Christians had to express Christ's love and forgiveness toward the very people that were feeding them and their children to lions. I can't even imagine!

Last year I was working with a friend of mine from UD on the movement to defend traditional marriage. Tensions were very high due to the Massachusetts and San Francisco gay marriage controversies. She remarked once out of frustration "we should take all the homosexuals, put them on an island, and them bomb it." Now this is a girl that attends daily mass seven days a week and I know her to be a very devout and holy person. She would do anything to help anyone in need - regardless of their sins. I know that she was just reacting to her frustration over the dire situation at hand. It still makes me wonder whether statements like this are what lead lost people to say things like "Don't you understand, God just doesn't like people like us!"