Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them. – Proverbs 24:17-18

Today’s Scripture Reading (April 17, 2013): Proverbs 24

In May 2001, a Tibetan Buddhist monk put on a cap in a lab at the University of Wisconsin to have his brain waves measured. The idea behind the experiment was to see what happens physically within the brain when a monk meditates in a positive manner. The concept for the experiment was actually suggested by the Dalai Lama to the author Daniel Goleman. Goleman writes about the experiment in his book “Destructive Emotions.” These are his words – “The very act of concern for others’ well being, it seems, creates a greater state of well-being within oneself.” And the reverse would also seem to be true. Destructive emotions destroy who it is that we are. The conclusion would seem to be that if you desire to be emotionally healthy – the answer is to love your enemies.

None of this should be a surprise – although often we would rather take a different path. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus speaks very pointedly. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:43-45) While the point of Jesus message is that the world will be a better place if we would just get along with each other – the truth is that we will personally be emotionally in much a better place if we will set our minds on compassion rather than destruction.

But none of this is new. The thought predates both Christianity and Buddhism. The thought is rooted in the wisdom literature of Judaism with the simple words that we should not gloat when our enemy fails. But it is probably not just the absence of the negative that will do us the most good. The lack of destructive thoughts will possibly stop the destruction of our own emotional being, but the repair of us emotionally does not happen unless we react with compassion.

Too often our response is that that our enemies do not deserve our compassion. And that may be true. But if we believe that we are worthy of healing, that healing starts with compassion for those that have hurt us. Our reality is that a lack of forgiveness only hurts us. And forgiveness might just be one of the most selfish acts possible – because it is only in that action that we can be emotionally healed.       

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 25