The call to love our enemies is, without a doubt, the most difficult thing Jesus invited us to do. . . For gang members, the decision to not retaliate can be a life and death decision. It is a ridiculous call, and yet, as the cycle of violence is broken and Love spreads, the ripples of Love change the world.

I decided people are more important than tasks.

Children love. It isn’t hard for them. They don’t see race or economic class, ex-con or homeless person. They only see people they love. It is a risk to take our children into the mess, and we think we are teaching them how to minister there, but in reality they are the ones who teach us to love because they are Love. And perfect Love casts out fear.

In our fight for justice, it is all too easy to mirror the hatred we encounter. Sometimes we must take a stand for the ones who are being oppressed, but when we do it out of a motive of Love, maybe the world moves one step closer to looking like heaven.

The idea of loving and helping “broken” people seems romantic. I’m going to rescue girls from the sex trade. I’m going to see addicts freed from drugs. I’m going to protect abused women. Then you get hurt.

The calling is to Love. To Love without agenda. Withouteven the agenda of trying to “save” anyone. Love does notinclude “only ifs.” Love does not love “so that.” People are notprojects. They are not potential converts. And they are certainlyare not our customers. People are friends. People are family.People are fellow human beings with whom we share life. Loveloves. It’s as simple as that.

Love is vulnerable. Love is family. Love is Life. We hurt one another. We just do. But we also need one another. We all know hurt people hurt people. Wounded people lash out in anger and in fear. I like to call them porcupines. These are people who desperately want a hug, but if you dare hug them, you will probably be stabbed.