By Henrylito D. Tacio

“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”—1 Peter 3:9

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If you have friends, then definitely you have enemies. They are people who harbor animosity towards or stand in opposition to another person, seeking to inflict harm or prevent them from achieving their objectives. In cinematic narratives, such characters are referred to as antagonists or villains.

Back in the days of the American Revolution, General George Washington had a good friend who was a minister.  Now, this minister had an enemy in town who did everything he could to abuse and oppose him.

After some years, this man was arrested for treason and sentenced to death.  When the minister heard this, he walked 100 kilometers to the capital to plead for the man’s life.  But Washington said, “No, I cannot grant you the life of your friend.”

“My friend?” the minister exclaimed. “He is the bitterest enemy I have.” Then, he told him of what the man had done to him.

Washington was surprised. “You mean that you have walked 100 kilometers to save the life of your enemy?  That puts the matter in a different perspective.  I hereby grant his pardon.” 

It was American president John F. Kennedy who was quoted as saying, “Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.”

If you have some enemies, you are to be congratulated, for no man ever amounted to much without arousing jealousies and creating enemies. Winston Churchill himself said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

Hollywood actress Bette Davis was true to herself when she said, “I do not regret one professional enemy I have made. Any actor who doesn’t dare to make an enemy should get out of the business.”

Unknowingly, your enemies are a very valuable asset as long as you refrain from striking back at them, because they keep you on the alert when you might become lazy.  As one Jewish proverb puts it: “Listen to your enemy, for God is talking.”

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” – that was what the Old Testament said (Exodus 21:24).  Jesus Christ, when He came to this world, suggested otherwise.  “Do not resist an evil person,” He was quoted as saying by Matthew.  “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well” (Matthew 5:39-40).

The Old Testament also said: “Hate your enemy.”  Jesus contradicted this: “But I tell you: Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44).

Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate,” Thomas Jones once said.  In other words, enemies are made, not born, they say.  And that was what business mogul Harvey Mackay believed, too.  Fortune magazine once called him “Mr. Make-Things-Happen.”

In his book, Swim with the Sharks (Without Being Eaten Alive), he wrote: “Like everyone else, I have accumulated my share of enemies in the course of a lifetime.  It’s nothing to be ashamed of.  Forgive thy enemies is very difficult advice for many of us to follow.  After all, if someone has harmed us, we tend to want to get back at them.  We can carry our grudges for many, many years.”

When it comes to business, such an idea is “totally counterproductive.”  He shares this incident: “I once fired an employee who then went into competition with me and began using what I felt were unfair business tactics.  The psychic energy and accumulated bitterness that went into my thoughts of revenge consumed me for the better part of five years.

“It was more than a waste of time, because whenever I thought about it, I grew vindictive and sour, and those attitudes spilled over into everything I touched.  As a result, I lost more than did the object of my revenge.”

He summed up through these words what he learned from that past event: “If you can’t take the best advice and forgive your enemies, then take the second best and forget them.  The only way you can achieve true revenge is not to let your enemies cause you to self-destruct.”  Sound advice, indeed.

Even in politics, there are no actual friends and no actual enemies.  Listen to the words of Ann Richards: “I’ve always said that in politics, your enemies can’t hurt you, but your friends will kill you.”

In the Bible, Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” What does this mean? Martin Luther King Jr., in his book, A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., explained:

“It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period but just keep loving them.

“And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So. love your enemies.”