Reflection - “Love your enemies”

On Sunday 23rd February in reflecting on Luke 6:27-38 — Love your enemies — I asked what might it look like for us to accept Jesus’ inversion of the world order, and to act accordingly? What kind of loving is demanded of us by this profound shift in our understanding of love and obligation?

Here is a summary of my reflection:

Last week a theological dispute between Pope Francis and J.D. Vance, the US Vice President, made the news. It concerned the correct interpretation of “ordo amoris”, the “order of love”, a moral teaching from St Augustine. Vance argued for a hierarchy of obligations that puts fellow citizens before immigrants. However, according to the pope, Jesus’ teachings contradict this notion, advocating for unconditional love and compassion, even for enemies. Jesus’ message of loving enemies and treating everyone as family disrupts the existing order, promoting a radical transformation towards a world of love and unity. This inversion of the world order, as advocated by Jesus, calls for a profound shift in our understanding of love and obligation, challenging societal norms and expectations.

Watch the whole refection here: https://youtu.be/j_p6e9nk04A?t=3096

See an excerpt of the Fox News interview with J.D. Vance here: https://x.com/JackPosobiec/status/1884795801739710691

Read Pope Francis’ pastoral letter here: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2025/documents/20250210-lettera-vescovi-usa.html#_ftn3