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I guess I need to love my “enemies”


It’s not every day that a Century article feels like it was written just for me, like a soft whisper in my ear or a punch to my gut. But this week we have an article from Nijay Gupta about loving and praying for enemies. While “enemies” is so strong a word that it doesn’t usually resonate with me, some years ago there was a church and there were some individuals in it who created a living hell for me and my wife. What does it mean for me to love those folks? This article has a lot to say on that difficult question.  

There’s more great new content too, and perhaps some of it will feel like it’s meant for you. Jonathan Tran provides an honest and insightful reflection on the importance of disappointment in our faith and in our lives. A book review on Love Sechrest’s approach to the Bible highlights some of the scholar’s innovative ways of integrating race into readings of the New Testament.

Speaking of book reviews—we have a great new video with Emily McGinley based on her review of Gaslighted by God. To come full circle in this email blurb, Emily and I discuss the phenomenon of people leaving conservative evangelicalism!


Email me: Have you come across a sermon or article that seemed to be just for you?

Jon Mathieu
[email protected]

This week’s top new pieces:

Did Jesus tell us to pray for our enemies?

“Steve Bannon’s use of the phrase piqued my interest because he uttered it like something you might hear as the battle cry before launching a holy war. But what exactly did Jesus mean when he taught about loving enemies?”

by Nijay K. Gupta

Giving disappointment its due

“No one avoids acknowledging our disappointment as much as we ourselves do. It hurts too much. It’s easier to store up enemies and resentment.”

by Jonathan Tran

VIDEO: Emily McGinley reviews Tiffany Yecke Brooks

Jon chats with pastor Emily McGinley about the book Gaslighted by God, ex-evangelical content culture, and the ministry of repairing and rebuilding faith.

Read Emily’s review here.

         

In the Lectionary for January 29 (Epiphany 4A)

Luke’s Beatitudes are for the poor. What if Matthew’s are, too?

by Alma Tinoco Ruiz
 

Epiphany 4A archives
Get even more lectionary resources with Sunday’s Coming Premium, an email newsletter from the editors of the Christian Century. Learn more.
         

Reading the Bible with Love Sechrest

“Love Sechrest introduces a distinctive proposal for biblical interpretation—associative hermeneutics—a model she develops through critical race theory and womanist sensibilities.”

review by Greg Carey

A 21st-century Polish epic

“Based on real historical events, Olga Tokarczuk’s magnum opus revolves around Jacob Frank (1726–1791), an 18th-century Jewish leader who declared himself to be the Messiah.”

review by Jeannine Marie Pitas
         
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