Love, the best food

What's the weirdest thing you like to eat?

Some kids like liver, hot dogs with peanut butter on them or sushi (raw fish). Other kids say, "YUCK! That's gross! How can you eat that?" But you know how good it is, because you've tried it.

Jesus would probably love to try different foods with you. In this week's Gospel (Luke 6:27-38), He tells us to try something different in the way we act: Loving the people who hurt us.

"Love your enemies," Jesus taught. "Do good to people who are mean to you. If someone hits you on one cheek, let them hit the other. If they take your coat, give them your shirt, too. It's easy to be nice to people who like you -- everyone does that. But when you're nice to someone who hates you, God is proud of you."

Remember the first time you tried a strange food? You probably didn't want to eat it. You sniffed it, poked it and tasted just a little before you got daring and put the whole thing in your mouth.

Loving our enemies is a strange thing to do, too. It's easy to love people who love you back, but hard to love people who hate you. That's why Jesus gave us ideas for things to do, like giving a shirt to someone who steals our coat. Just like trying a new food, you have to jump in and try loving someone who hurts you by doing something you're not sure you want to.

Eating weird foods is not the same as eating things that aren't food. Hot dogs with peanut butter are gross, but you might eat them -- but you'd never eat dirt! Jesus wanted us to think that way about loving our enemies. You don't have to do something terrible, like getting beaten up, just to try something new, like loving everyone.

Kids who eat weird foods might just like them, or they might be trying to be different. It's okay to eat whatever you like, but Jesus had an even better way to be different: by being nice to people who act mean. It's just as scary as eating liver -- but Jesus will be right there, trying it along with you!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me to put up with everyone -- people who like me, people who don't and people who eat weird foods! Amen.

(02-19-98)

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