A Word from the Associate&

     Everyone has enemies of one kind or another.  An enemy is someone who tries to destroy me, whether willfully or not.  It might involve total destruction: someone who wants to attack my country, destroy my way of life, maybe blow me up, or someone who wants to murder me personally.  It might be a more limited, but still anguishing destruction: someone who has raped me or abused me sexually, or beaten me physically, or harmed me emotionally.  It might be someone who has attacked me with slander, who has made it their personal crusade to see that I am disliked and thought badly of.  It might be someone who has destroyed something that was important to me or taken something that belonged to me, or who has spitefully kept me from getting my due, or who has hurt a person I love, or who has poisoned a relationship that was very dear to me.  It might be someone who actively promotes a way of life that will bring spiritual harm upon me or my family: sellers of drugs, purveyors of pornography, teachers of rebellion.  The natural response to such enemies is to desire their harm in return for harming me.  "You have heard it said, love your friends and hate your enemies."
     "But I tell you, love your enemies."  This is perhaps the most difficult command of Christ.  And it is a command, not just a suggestion, not just an ideal for the incredibly holy few.  Christ made clear, on more than one occasion; this was to be a hallmark of his disciples.  How are we to understand this, how to obey a command that seems on the face of it impossible to obey?
     We should be clear about what Christ is not commanding.  He is not saying, "Feel good about your enemies."  He does not say, "Like your enemies."  He nowhere commands, "Be sure to think of your enemies as fine fellows."  Rather, the command is, "Love your enemies."  Which in Scriptural language means:    desire good things for your enemies; act so as to procure what would be good even for those who have done evil to you.   
     The first and most important duty here is to hope for the highest good for our enemies, namely that they might repent of their sins and come to the knowledge of Christ, and so inherit his kingdom.  "Pray for those who persecute you," is the line Jesus gives us following that first difficult command.  We need to hope in our hearts, and to pray, that those who have done horrific things to us will somehow find the way to recognize their sin, find forgiveness, and become partakers in the heavenly banquet.  Osama bin Laden.  Hitler.  The man who raped my daughter.  The woman who ran out on me.  Whoever.  We need to hope to share heaven with them, so long as there is any possibility of hope.  This is to have the mind of Christ, to share the heart of Him who hopes to the last that the sinner might   repent and find life.
     This does not mean that we do not act to protect ourselves from our enemies, or to see that justice is done.  This is consonant with love.  But it means that we can never give way to reckless hate, to the desire that anyone, no matter what we have suffered at their hands, be everlastingly deprived of life.
     It is the only proper attitude for ex-convicts, for forgiven   sinners, for former enemies of God: for men and women like us.

Stewardship and Taxes

Our thoughts of Stewardship and the financial commitments we make for the coming year occur during the same time of year that we start thinking about taxes.  Although April is when taxes are due, this is the time of year we start think about whether there isn't something we can do to minimize those taxes come April.  Over the course of the next few weeks, we'll review some of the tax considerations associated with your   financial support of St. John's.  We'll start with the basics and work up to some of the more creative ways of supporting our parish.
Both the Federal and state governments continue to recognize the importance of charitable giving, subsidizing our gifts by allowing tax deductions.  We often view tax deductions as an opportunity to reduce our tax bills.  During this Stewardship season we should change this perspective and view tax deductibility as a reason to increase our giving.  Suppose you want to give $500 to St. John's and you are in a 28% Federal tax bracket and a 7.05% Minnesota bracket.  You can actually give $747 to St. John's and still be "out of pocket" only the $500 you intend to give.  This is because your $747 gift will reduce your tax bill by $247.  Considering the tax aspects of your stewardship decision in this manner will benefit              St. John's.  Isn't that was stewardship is all about?