October 5, 2024

Subject: In this 2024 Political Season: Is it Possible to Love Your “Enemies?”

Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

“Scalia was a monster” tweeted one person. “If the news about his death is true, how long do we have to wait until we can openly not be sad about it?” tweeted another. What did Antonin Scalia, a revered Conservative Supreme Court Justice who died in 2016, do that would cause so much vitriol?

The reaction to Scalia’s death demonstrates how we now live in a culture of division, whether it is over being Democrat – vs – Republican, “right – vs – wrong side,” “good – vs – evil,” “oppressed – vs – oppressor.”

This dangerous “us”-vs-“them” mentality reduces everyone to an “enemy” to be opposed by “us.” In the intense polarization of the 2024 Presidential Election, people openly express hatred towards others who believe differently than them, to the point of not only wishing harm on others but actually carrying it out.

4 years after Justice Scalia’s death, Justice Ruth Ginsburg died in 2020. She was also a revered Supreme Court Justice – but as a Liberal. It would be hard to find 2 more polar opposite judges in their worldviews.

Scalia was known as the “intellectual anchor for the originalist and textualist position in the Court’s Conservative wing.” He viewed the Constitution as permitting the death penalty while providing no rights to abortion or same-sex marriage. He also viewed programs such as affirmative action, which provided special protected status to minority groups, as unconstitutional.

Ginsberg was known for her passion for women’s rights – especially abortion – and against gender discrimination. At her 1993 Senate Confirmation hearing, Time Magazine reported that she took “the unprecedented step of strongly endorsing abortion rights, stating ‘It is essential to woman’s equality with man that she be the decisionmaker, that her choice be controlling. If you impose restraints that impede her choice, you are disadvantaging her because of her sex.’”

Scalia: a stance Conservative. Ginsberg: a committed Liberal. They must have been at each other’s throats. But they never spoke politics or ideology, because as someone said, “there would be no point.”

Ginsburg said this of her dear friend Antonin Scalia: “As annoyed as you might be of his zinging dissent, he is so utterly charming, so amusing, so outrageous, you cannot help but say, ‘I’m glad he is my friend.’” She said she had to pinch herself to not laugh when he said something audacious in the courtroom.

Their families spent New Year’s Eve together. When Chief Justice Roberts announced Ginsburg’s husband’s death, Scalia wept on the bench. When Scalia died, Ginsburg said “We were best buddies.”

Judge Jeffrey Sutton shared a story of these two as the Ultimate Odd Couple: “Once as I was leaving Justice Scalia’s chambers, he pointed to 2 dozen roses on his table and noted that he needed to take them down to ‘Ruth’ for her birthday. ‘Wow,’ I said, ‘I doubt I have given 24 roses to my wife in almost 30 years of marriage. What good have all those roses done for you? Name one 5-4 case of any significance when you have got Justice Ginsburg’s vote.” Scalia replied, “Some things are more important than votes.”

This is Jesus Christ’s message: “You have heard it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48).

The perfect, complete law of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – to love your enemies – is meant to be the normal Christian life. We have turned it into something “odd” when we see it displayed.

As we approach the 2024 Presidential election, we can take a lesson from progressive Liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Constitutional Conservative Antonin Greg Scalia. We can be kind to one another. We can choose love over votes. This is Jesus’s mandate to love those with whom you disagree.

Ed Croteau is a lay pastor and resident of Lee’s Summit and hosts a weekly study in Lees Summit called “Faith: Substance and Evidence.” He can be reached with your questions on his website www.fse.life.