Loving Our Enemies Isn’t Easy—But It's God’s Way
Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow brings a pastoral heart and prophetic clarity to this timely conversation with Day1 host Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime. In this clip from Episode #4180, they delve into the spiritual struggle many of us face: how to respond to those who hurt us, oppose us, or act unjustly.
Quoting from Romans 12 and reflecting deeply on Acts 9:1-20—the story of Saul's conversion—Rev. Reyes-Chow reminds us that even our enemies are made in the image of God. The clip is a powerful reflection on what it means to live faithfully in a divided world.
This isn't about excusing wrongdoing. It's about resisting the urge to diminish the humanity of others—and trusting that God's grace extends even to those we find hardest to love.
With pastoral wisdom and personal vulnerability, Rev. Reyes-Chow invites us to consider a higher calling: to embody the radical love of Christ in how we see and treat one another.
Watch the Clip
Transcript
Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow
I've been preaching a lot this year on: "Do not repay evil acts with evil acts," and, like, how difficult that is. "Bless those who persecute you, do not curse them." I mean, those are like...
Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
That is hard work. That is easy to say, (hard to do.)
Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow
Yeah. Do you see the fullness of humanity even in our worst enemies? And if we don't, then we've let evil win.
I mean, I really do feel like when we fall into that... So I think I'm talking more about how are we diminishing another person in our acts? Physically, certainly, but emotionally, spiritually, what are we doing that somehow doesn't acknowledge the created-ness that is within them? Or, if we can't even see that, that God has hopes and intentions for them, too. And so if we have just decided God's done with them, well, that's not the God that I believe in.
That's the God I understand people not wanting to believe in and assuming we do, but that's not the one that I believe in. So we can't have it both ways. And so that turns onto ourselves, right? We have to be able to say to ourselves, when are we participating in things that diminish another person?
For Prayerful Reflection:
- When have I been tempted to see others as less than fully human, less than beloved by God?
- In what relationships might God be inviting me to see beyond present conflict to future possibility?
- How might my church community better embody Christ's radical love for those society has marginalized?
- What spiritual practice could help me maintain sight of God's image in others, especially when it's difficult?
- Where is the Holy Spirit prompting me to extend grace today, even when it feels undeserved?
Explore Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow’s full sermon from episode 4180 >>>
