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I have a confession. I used to hate the people who disagreed with me\npolitically. It\u2019s understandable to feel strongly about how we practice\npolitics. Voting and activism have the potential to bring about much good\nin our communities. Politics can also be incredibly scary because we\u2019re\noften dealing with life-and-death issues that affect us and our neighbors.\n.\nHere\u2019s the good news: Jesus understands what it\u2019s like to be in the middle\nof scary political situations. His homeland was occupied by the Roman\nEmpire, and injustice was rampant.\n.\nBut Jesus didn\u2019t respond in violence toward those who threatened Him. In\nthe same way, Jesus calls His followers to love our enemiesto pray for\nthem and to respond to hatred with love and care for the needs of others,\neven our enemies (Matthew 5:38-47).\n.\nWhen we join Jesus\u2019s kingdom, we no longer put our trust in chariots or\nswords, weapons or symbols of power (Psalm 20:7; Matthew 26:52). Instead,\nour trust is in the living God, our Risen Savior Jesus Christ. He\u2019s the One\nwho beat sin and death through His own death and resurrection, and He\u2019s the\nOne who will return to make all things newwith every wrongdoing and\ninjustice finally taken care of (Revelation 20:1121:5).\n.\nToday, when I\u2019m tempted to hate people I disagree with, I remember Jesus on\nthe night He let people take Him away to kill Him. When His enemies\nsurrounded Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, He did not allow His disciples\nto lead a violent counterattack. Instead, Jesus stopped, healed one of His\nenemies, and moved forward in peace and truth, making the way for\nrestoration through His very death and eventual resurrection (Luke\n22:49-52).\n.\nAs Christians, we don\u2019t have to be afraid of changing political systems.\nInstead, we can remember we belong to an eternal and unafraid kingdom\nthrough the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His kingdom is built\nupon love of God and neighbor, so no matter who is in power, we can\ncontinue to share the good news of God\u2019s love through our words and actions\n(Matthew 22:37-40). In Christ, we are free to love our neighborsand even\nour enemiesas we follow our unchanging and healing Savior. Aurora Scriver\n.\n Have you ever been tempted to hate your political enemies? Consider\ntaking some time to bring those thoughts and feelings to God. Your cares\nare never too big for Him, and He can help you process even your angriest\nthoughts in a way that is safe for yourself and others (1 Peter 5:7).\n.\n The psalms are filled with peoples\u2019 prayers against their enemies,\nallowing them to process their hurts and trust that God is at work to bring\nabout justice. Try praying Psalm 69 about your political enemies. What do\nyou notice about the psalmist\u2019s hope?\n.\n Amazingly, God is just as patient with us as He is with our enemies.\nAccording to 2 Peter 3:8-10 and John 3:16-17, why is God patient with us?\nWhat are some practical ways you can love your political enemies? (Matthew\n5:38-47)\n.\nSome trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of\nthe LORD our God. Psalm 20:7 (NIV)\nRead Verses:\nMatthew 26:36-Matthew 26:55; Luke 22:49-Luke 22:52; Psalm 20:7; Matthew 5:38-Matthew 5:47