think over it after

"If You Don't Like Your Enemies..." 23.01.2006, 01 Uhr 11
Well, coming back to Berlin was a bit shocking. In a "little" Swedish town like Uppsala with 200,000 people (including 45,000 students), everything looks like perfect-going: People are well-dressed and well-known for their kindliness...It was quite a "kulturschock" coming home to Berlin's Bronx Neukölln and seing so many people hurrying, arguing, or ignoring each other. Welcome to a Western Metropole, I guess. Two days later, I'm starting being happy again being in this special place. I like again the roughness of this suburb and its multicultural atmosphere...But, what was really surprising to me was the following grafitti (see below). It says: "If you don't like riots, homos, antifaschists, communists, anticapitalists / If you don't like all kinds of thinking human beings / than fuck off / and run as fast as you can..."To my mind, this grafitti explains why violence is still remaining in today. Like the painter, most people intend to like only the ones which like them. In this case, the painter says indirectly "If you don't like us, we don't like you and will hunt you". It's so easy to hate people that hate you. This philosophy is not of any help!Looking at this picture, I understood two things: - First of all, it was a total radical thought developed by Jesus that one should love not only one's friends but also ones's enemies and even bless them: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Jesus in the Bible; Matthew 5,43-48)- And secondly, only this love -including the ones that don't like you- will help solving the problem of disrespect and violence in our society and our daily life. Only this love can break the circle of violence and counter-violence!

gelkaut von

Christoph Hanser

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