How to Have an Enemy

"To have enemies as a source of liberation—for ourselves and for those who do harm—is to recognize structures of power and their relationship to identity... We have enemies in particular and curious ways, ways that do not make sense within the structures of violent power-keeping around us. Instead, we are people who have set down our lives within the reconciliation of all things." -Melissa Florer Bixler Christianity tells us to love our enemies. Jesus commanded it, but how do we do it, and who are our enemies? In a polarized world, it is easy to pick sides and become tribalized; whether in faith, politics, sports, or most other realms of everyday life. Those divisions make it difficult for us to see one another well, let alone love them. We see them as different from us, and it is nearly impossible to love someone in the abstract sense. Yet, the call to love others still exists. So what do we do? How do we walk out this ethic in such a fractured time in history? To befriend an enemy, we first have to acknowledge their existence, understand who they are, and recognize the ways they are acting in opposition to God’s good news. In How to Have an Enemy: Righteous Anger and the Work of Peace, Melissa Florer-Bixler looks closely at what the Bible says about enemies—who they are, what they do, and how Jesus and his followers responded to them. Melissa is the pastor of Raleigh Mennonite Church and a graduate of Duke University and Princeton Theological Seminary. She joins the show today for a lively and timely discussion on her new book and offers ways to do the hard work of building communities, seeking justice, and tearing down systems of oppression. It is an essential conversation for such a time as this. Buy Melissa's book, How to Have an Enemy: Righteous Anger and the Work of Peace on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PQDQM2W/ For more on Melissa: https://www.melissaflorerbixler.com/ Come along for the ride as we skewer through life, culture, and spirituality in the face of a changing world. www.SnarkyFaith.com