Liu Xiaobo

Recently I have been coming across many quotes with the Gospel message of “Love Your Enemies”. In the mail today I got the new copy of In Communion, the journal of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship, that has a whole page of quotes on these words. However, my favorite quote comes from Liu Xiaobo, this year’s recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in his 2009 “Final Statement” to the Chinese court that sentenced him to eleven years’ imprisonment for “inciting subversion of state power.” He said:

“I have no enemies and no hatred. None of the police who monitored, arrested, and interrogated me, none of the prosecutors who indicted me, and none of the judges who judged me are my enemies. Hatred can rot away at a person’s intelligence and conscience. That is why I hope to be able to transcend my personal experiences as I look upon our nation’s development and social change, to counter the regime’s hostility with utmost goodwill, and to dispel hatred with love.”

The Chinese Government will not allow him to leave prison to receive the award, but his spirit will be there. There is quite a contrast between Lu Xiaobo and President Obama, last year’s recipient of the award, who used his reception talk to justify war and violence.

It is dangerous to love our enemies. I find it hard at times to even love my friends. There is also all the suffering, stigma, prison and even death that comes along with it. Yet love of enemies remains a powerful force that even in defeat overcomes.

Comments

(:commentboxchrono:)