Jesus tells us something very profound and unsettling today in the One Year Bible reading from John 16:1-33. He says that the people who kill the disciples will think they're doing God a favor.
That's a scary thought, not just because there are millions of people who think that killing Christians is doing God a favor, but because there are lots of Christians who think that killing people of other faiths is good, and that destroying the lives of other Christians is doing God a favor.
That's why it's so important for us to love our enemies. If your enemy is Muslim, love him and pray for him. If your enemy is another Christian that you think worships God wrong, or is too "progressive", or too traditional, or too radical... or too anything, love him and pray for him. Don't make the mistake of thinking that killing your enemy is doing God a favor.
Does this mean that we're all to be pacifists and let our enemies destroy us? No. We ARE to defend the church against evil. But remember that the evil is coming from the devil - not from other people. The man who is your adversary today might be your ally tomorrow. Be kind. Let people change. Pray for them. And love everyone.
Keep Ephesians 6:12 in mind. We aren't wrestling against flesh and blood (aka other people) but against the spirit of the age - the spirit that tells people all of the evils that are happening in the world today. Sometimes it will be necessary to kill someone to protect your family, or your nation. But we should never delight in that killing. It's always a bad thing - even when it's necessary.
God, thanks for teaching us to love our enemies - so that we don't make the mistake of thinking that killing them pleases You.
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