Reconciling with our enemies

In our Bible study we are still in the midst of Genesis, with all of its rich stories of our ancestors in the faith. Yet again I am reminded of the mixed lineage we come from: our patriarchs and matriarchs were none of them angels! Indeed, "Israel" is the name given to Jacob, one of the most rotten characters of them all. He cheats his brother Esau and so fully expects violence when he meets with Esau again later in life. Yet Esau forgives him and the two reconcile, albeit warily. Jacob's sons - the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel - act in the same way, selling their brother Joseph into slavery and telling their aged father that Joseph is dead. But when they unexpectedly meet with Joseph again, he also forgives them. Jesus' teaching about loving our enemies is exemplified right there in the first stories of scripture, enacted in the midst of complicated, dysfunctional families. Sometimes our own family members can be the hardest of all to love and forgive. It takes work to step away from our outrage and hurt and still choose to love the other who hurt us. That work can take more than a lifetime, in cases of real harm and abuse. We can't expect it to happen quickly and easily. Yet God forgives all of us, and guides us toward forgiving one another, with God's help. This is the message of reconciliation that is at the heart of our faith.