Recently, I have explained my new definition of happiness and love. That enabled me to understand the meaning of ‘love your enemy’ for the first time. Let’s discuss it.
An incomprehensible teaching for me
Sometimes, we want to comprehend the major teaching that goes against our common sense. There are many strange ones.
One typical example for me was the Christian teaching of turning the other cheek. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also…”
Since I am neither Christian nor familiar with its doctrine, I have never had an opportunity to learn its meaning. I thought if someone does something unpleasant to us, why should we make ourselves suffer more? That was my impression.
However, my recent definition of love enabled me to comprehend its meaning for the first time. Loving our enemies doesn’t contradict protecting our assets. Although I don’t know whether my interpretation is appropriate, this perspective might enable you to understand traditional teachings rationally.
Love vs. rationality
Loving our enemies doesn’t go against our abundant life. Identifying the difference between love and rationality tells us why.
- Love is the practice of providing others—and oneself—with specific criteria for broad, long-term benefit. All of our judgments and behaviors are to improve our environments, including using violence and waging war. The same goes for our enemies. All people judge and act to improve people’s lives, including their own, although we can never know what will help the future or how it unfolds.
- Rationality is the effectiveness of actions evaluated by their impact on society. Socially beneficial effects should be shared more broadly and harmful ones limited as little as possible—that is rationality.
Jesus taught to love your enemy, not to accept their unreasonableness. That point eliminates confusion, in my current opinion.
Understanding what love is
All people judge and act to improve society, including themselves. We call the criteria for judgment ‘love.’
It means that everyone has love. Some prioritize creation, while some value competition. There is no right or wrong to those standards. We can understand that everyone has love.
Although love is incomparable, effectiveness is comparable. Since we live in a world with limited resources, it is better to use them effectively. That is why rationality matters when evaluating love.
For example, assume plenty of wheat is sold cheaply, and there are opportunities to earn money. In such a situation, killing someone to obtain wheat is ineffective. Working a day and buying it by using the salary has a better impact on society. In other words, killing is less reasonable according to the situation as long as there are no special, unavoidable circumstances.
Although we can never predict the future exactly, efficiency can be measured from a broader, long-term perspective. That determines the effect of love.
Rationality that solves conflicts
In other words, identifying broader, long-term rationality enables us to love our enemy and avoid unnecessary struggles. If the other person is more reasonable from that perspective, we can learn from them, so we should turn the other cheek.
On the other hand, if we are more reasonable than the opponent, we naturally judge based on rationality. There is love within us as well. We could also share our love. It would be a calmer, more moderate way. It eventually generates long-term benefits for us, no matter how the opponent reacts.
Identifying a more rational way ends the conflict. It is a matter of rationality, not love.
However, many people misunderstand love. They try to stop conflicts and wars with emotional reactions, like anger and sadness, without providing other convincing, broader, and longer-term reasons.
I never say we can get along with everyone without negative emotions. Love is something beyond emotions. That is how I interpret ‘love your enemy.’
Conclusion
That is my first comprehension of ‘love your enemy,’ although I don’t know whether it is appropriate.
Try considering love as a profound concept beyond superficial emotions.
This perspective might enable you to understand traditional teachings rationally.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
