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Our Enemies


The Lord is my light and my salvation—     whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—    of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked advance against me to devour  me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.  Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. (Psalm 27:1-3)

            It’s one thing when the enemy or foe is some bad person. It’s another when the enemy is a loved one who isn’t even trying to hurt you, or a set of circumstances beyond one’s control. Tonight is a night full of enemies: anger, frustration, dementia, pain-killers. They’re devouring everything. I’m not looking for pity or advice. In fact, both tend to make things worse because neither actually provides what’s needed. Advice tends to involve my spending money we don’t have.
           Each of us faces enemies in our lifetimes, and the worst are the enemies we care about, the foes we need, and the wicked things that have nothing against us. Sometimes, it’s the child who thinks she should live her life her way, but you know that lifestyle is harmful. Sometimes, it’s the parent who can’t say “No.” Sometimes, the enemy is a disease that devours the mind of someone near you , turning them into a type of zombie – thoughtlessly plunging ahead, obeying impulses without thought. And sometimes, you turn into a zombie, too – infected with the same virus.
           The thing is that no matter who attacks or why, we can still be confident that God will bring us through it. When the enemy is beloved, we need that even more than if the enemy is someone we feel at liberty to hate. I will come through this. It may not be easy, but I can rejoice in this trial because I know it will bring about good things. God is still good even when sleep is a luxury I can’t seem to afford.

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