Getting rid of your enemies

There are a few basic approaches to getting rid of your enemies. Don't panic; I haven't gone over to the dark side. Trust me a moment while I explain.

Nobody wants enemies. It's awkward, it's uncomfortable. It can even be hate-inducing. Enemies are a constant temptation to sin. And we don't want temptation, do we? Or maybe we do. They're just begging us to repay them for that nasty turn they did to us. Enemies are intolerable; that's what makes them enemies. We are not at peace until all our enemies are gone.

There's the Mafia approach to enemies -- killing them. In this world, we do see that approach in action in reality. Or there's the propaganda approach to enemies -- character assassination. There's the fence sitting-approach, hoping things will blow over and someone (read: the other guy) will have a change of heart, but until then the enemy is studiously ignored. But all these approaches to enemies have one thing in common: We just can't have enemies in our lives. It's too uncomfortable.

Then there's Christ's challenge to us: another way to get rid of your enemies. Love them, and they're no longer enemies. Befriend them. Greet them. Be kind to them. To everyone. No matter how little they deserve it. Reconcile with them, convert them into friends. God's with us on this one: the situation is intolerable. We just can't have enemies.

Why is it so much easier to take any other approach than that one?