Who is my Enemy?

The killing of Osama Bin Laden earlier this week raised a few questions about enemies. In response to my assertion that we should love our enemies a friend of mine asked me this question:

Is there a difference between a personal enemy and a national enemy?


I responded saying that it depends on our definition of enemy. It is hard to relate to an enemy without a face.. maybe Bin Laden is simply the face of an enemy organization the way that Hitler was the face of Nazi Germany?

I think that the image to the left is a bit simplistic and one sided because it sees 'enemies' from one's own view - it is possible for me to love an enemy and still have an enemy.. some will always hate us no matter what we do.

How would you answer my friend's question?

6 comments:

  1. The only difference is on whom the enemy intends damage? In the one, it is a specific person, in the other a nation. I suppose there could be some that are both - like if you were President Obama facing possible terrorists of various factions who could be targeting you specifically as well as your nation in general.

    I grasp the idea of loving your enemies as having compassion for them. I may still have to fight them, but have I made an attempt to understand their hatred - even to the point of examining my own actions and beliefs that may have encouraged it and repented of those when necessary?

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  2. Great response Missy! I love that second paragraph and the way that you relate loving our enemies with trying to understand them.

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  3. Hi Bob,

    I startled my husband once by suggesting his (now former) manager was his enemy and he should pray for him. The thought of having a personal enemy who wasn't trying to kill him was a novel idea. In all honesty, E fit the qualifications when it came to the underhanded tactics he used to advance himself and which were also quite abusive to his workers. Needless to say, when E retired, no one wanted to host a going-away party, so it didn't happen.

    I'm with Missy on this one. I also vastly prefer mercy to vengance, although justice can look a lot like revenge sometimes. Is the difference a matter of the eye of the beholder?

    Hugs to you and Ann!

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  4. Distinguishing between justice and vengeance is often hard, but I think a lot of it comes down to attitude. Am I trying to do the right thing or am I just trying to get my own back. I like Missy's idea that we need to have compassion and ask how we might have done to contribute to the situation about.

    As for national versus personal enemies I think the main difference is there is the welfare of other people involved. Also if I hold a position of responsibility, I may have obligations to those people. If someone is just my personal enemy it may be more appropriate for me to just back down in the situation and simply take a hit, then if I am responsible for the welfare of others.

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  5. A shepherd may love all of God's creatures. But, if a wolf attacks and starts killing his sheep, that wolf is dead meat.

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  6. Great comments all. I do think that the difference between justice and revenge is often the attitude and perspective of one's heart.

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