The way of Jesus is so counter cultural to anything we might think or assume. The apostle Paul illustrates this perfectly when he points out some things in the bible; in Romans 13:

// Submit to authority.
// Pay your bills.
// Pay your taxes.

And then he says, don’t owe anyone, but know that you owe love to everyone.

Wha…?

Yep.

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. (Romans 13:8 NLT)

That’s pretty straightforward:

How should I treat someone I don’t know?
You owe them love.

How about the person I don’t like?
You owe them love.

How about that dude that owes me money?
You owe him love.

Fine, whatever, but they really hurt me, and I can’t ever forget that.
Don’t forget it, but you still owe them love.

This is serious business Paul is talking about, not something to consider but something to flesh out, wrestle with and live.

For me, this places more tension in my heart because it causes me to wrestle constantly with how I treat EVERY person in my life (& not in my life for that matter.)
I’m not there yet, but I needed to be reminded.
What about you?