Why We Are Called to Bless Those Who Hate Us

On a sweltering July evening over twenty years ago in Syracuse, New York, I stood on the porch of Pastor Ken Smith, unsure of what I was walking into. As a lesbian feminist activist and English professor at Syracuse University, I thought I was engaged in research an investigation into the Christian community I believed was obstructing civil rights for people like me.

Pastor Ken answered the door with warmth and invited me in. Over the following months, I dined frequently with him and his family. I believed I was observing a curious and outdated cultural tribe. What I didn’t realize was that I was being deeply, quietly, and relentlessly loved.

It was over time that I realized the uncomfortable truth. I wasn’t the victim at the table. I was the enemy.

I had devoted my life to what I saw as justice social equality, reparations, racial reconciliation, and inclusion. But I was blind to the spiritual reality. I wasn’t fighting for justice. I was fighting against Jesus, the reigning King I didn’t yet know. It wasn’t a historical Jesus I opposed, but a living One my Prophet, Priest, King, Friend, and Savior.

And yet, even in my rebellion, Pastor Ken and his church did not hate me. They prayed for me. They sang Psalms in front of me. They invited me in when I stood for everything they didn’t. In fact, a whole community of believers prayed faithfully for my salvation. I may not meet all of them until eternity, but I’ll be forever grateful they stood in the gap.

From Hatred to Healing

When Christ claimed my life, everything changed. I could no longer support the LGBTQ+ student groups I once led. I had to step away from mentoring graduate students whose research conflicted with my newfound beliefs. My life had been rewired from the inside out, and it cost me dearly.

I had to face those I had once called family and confess that I could no longer stand with them in the same way. Their anger and confusion were palpable. To them, I had betrayed everything. But the truth is, I had not traded one ideology for another. I had bowed to the living Christ.

Union with Christ became not just a doctrine I studied but the lifeline I clung to. In a world filled with tension and division, it is not merely tolerance or agreement that fosters peace it is a heart transformed by the One who gave everything for us.

According to the Pew Research Center, around 63% of Americans still identify as Christian, but many struggle to live out Jesus’ radical command: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” This is not merely a lofty moral idea it is the heartbeat of true Christian discipleship.

A New Season of Cursing

In recent years, I have again found myself in the crosshairs from all sides. An LGBTQ+ advocacy group condemned me when a local PRIDE parade was canceled. A Christian ministry rebuked my approach to sharing the Gospel, calling it too gracious. And progressive “gay Christians” took offense at my rejection of “gay Christianity” as biblically untenable.

Temptation whispered to defend myself, to lash out, to set the record straight. But that is not the way of Christ. The more I was cursed, the more I found myself pressed into prayer and Psalm-singing.

The 17th-century theologian John Owen wrote, “Union with Christ is the cause of all other graces a believer receives.” It’s not about how tightly we hold on to Jesus it’s about how securely He holds us. That changes everything.

When Jesus says in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” He reminds us that being known by Him is what gives us the ability to follow, even when it costs us everything.

Misplaced Unity

The church’s disunity today is not because of theological complexity but because we’ve replaced Christ-centered union with issue-centered alliances. Whether it's politics, social stances, or cultural movements, we attempt to unite around causes rather than around Christ Himself.

But unity built on shared opinions is brittle. True unity flows from being united to Jesus. He alone enables us to die to ourselves. According to Barna Group research, 56% of Christians admit they struggle to love those they disagree with politically or socially. The Gospel calls us to a different way.

God’s comfort is not a sedative; it’s a stimulant. In the English of old, “comfort” meant to strengthen with. It is divine empowerment to persevere when we are slandered, hated, misunderstood, and maligned.

Your Suffering Is Not Wasted

The Heidelberg Catechism teaches that our only comfort in life and death is not found in any worldly cause no matter how noble it may seem. It lies in this we are not our own. We belong to Jesus Christ, who has fully satisfied for all our sins and now preserves us in such a way that not a hair can fall from our head without the will of our heavenly Father.

That includes persecution.

Philippians 3:10 (KJV) speaks of “the fellowship of his sufferings.” This isn’t a poetic flourish it’s the calling of every believer. We are not just saved from something; we are saved into something. Into a life of becoming like Christ, through trials and pain.

Hatred from others, when filtered through God’s providence, becomes a sanctifying agent. It is not the ultimate enemy. The true enemy is anything in us that refuses to conform to Christ.

The Master of Your Persecution

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ words to “you who hear” remind us that not everyone has ears to hear the radical call of the Gospel. Many prefer vengeance over forgiveness, control over surrender, self-preservation over self-denial.

But to be chosen, known, and loved by the King of kings is the greatest privilege we could ever receive. If your ears have been unstopped and your eyes opened to the truth, then you are already more blessed than any hardship you face.

Yes, persecution is painful. But it has a Master. And that Master is Jesus. He uses it all to sanctify, to refine, and to draw us nearer.

So when hatred knocks on your door, open it not with retaliation, but with love, prayer, and blessing. That is the way of the cross. And it is the way of Christ.

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