Why bother trying to love enemies? The below essays make the case that it’s a way to flourish in a broken world.
These essays discuss:
-How reconciliation fits into life’s purpose
-What cycles of violence are
-Three practices for interrupting cycles of violence.
As a reminder of something you will see on a number of pages: we do not have to have relationships with toxic people if we can at all avoid it.
We are to be good stewards of the lives we are lent, and that means wisely discerning whether or not we have evidence that the person in question capable of being in a positive relationship. Maybe they will be in 20 years or never. We do need to heal enough so that they do not have power over our minds, but that process is also not fully under our control. We heal at different time tables, often more slowly than we’d like.
The poetry provided on this site provides language for people who are struggling with reconciliation. These essays help explain what a healthy concept of reconciliation can look and sound like. They unpack the poetry.
Reconciliation poetry 