Package bombs kill two, injure two in Austin, Texas

Two package bombs killed a teenager and wounded two women yesterday in Austin, Texas. Investigators believe the attacks are linked to a similar bombing that killed a thirty-nine-year-old man in Austin earlier this month. Given the victims’ races, it’s possible that the bombings are hate crimes.

In other news, a mother had her legs, her right arm, and the fingers on her left hand removed after she contracted sepsis in an English hospital. Officials later admitted that medical staff did not recognize the warning signs of her infection. She is now suing the hospital.

And a match between two soccer teams in Greece was suspended when the owner of one of the teams stormed onto the field while armed with a gun. He complained to a referee about a disallowed goal, though he never drew his weapon. Once the gun was identified, however, the game was suspended.

If someone passed a law that conflicts between people could no longer be reported in the news, there would be little news to report.

Imagine a world where everyone chose to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). But there are two sides to this commandment: loving our neighbors enough to do only what is best for them and loving our neighbors when they do what is evil to us. Let’s consider the latter today.

Who has hurt you most recently or most deeply? Have that person in mind as we explore God’s word together.

Hating those who hurt us

Jesus described Satan as a “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44) who came to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). One of his most insidious strategies is to tempt people to hurt us so we will hate them. If we respond in this way, two tragedies result.

One: We hate our enemies when we should pray for them.

Jesus’ command was clear and without exceptions: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). The second imperative fulfills the first.

I once heard missionary Tom Doyle make this profound…