Day 25: Corrie ten Boom - “Loving Your Enemies”
““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Introduction
Loving our enemies is arguably the most difficult aspect of the Christian life. When we are hurt or mistreated by others, we often want to strike back or make them pay. Forgiveness feels impossible. Yet, when we forgive, love can radically transform both our hearts and those who wrong us. Corrie ten Boom’s life shows how even in the darkest circumstances, love and forgiveness can shine brightly.
Loving Your Enemies
Corrie ten Boom grew up in a devout Christian home where her father taught his children to love and care for everyone because they were made in God’s image. This was put to the test when she and her family were betrayed and arrested by the Nazis for hiding and sheltering Jews. The Gestapo quickly arrested ten Boom, her sister, Betsie, and their father, among many others. After only a few days in prison, Corrie’s father died.
Unfortunately, their suffering didn’t end there. Corrie and Betsie were eventually transferred to Ravensbrück concentration camp, the most notorious camp for women. With her health rapidly declining, Betsie ten Boom died while imprisoned at Ravensbrück. Corrie lost more than just an older sister; she lost her closest friend and spiritual companion.
After the war, Corrie ten Boom traveled the world to speak about God’s grace and the power of forgiveness, even for those who had caused the greatest pains. One powerful moment came when she was sharing a message about God’s grace. After the meeting, a man approached her, and she immediately recognized him as one of the guards from Ravensbrück. The man told her he had become a Christian after the war and extended his hand to her for forgiveness. Corrie froze, realizing that she couldn’t forgive him on her own. So she silently prayed and made the bold decision to take his hand. To her amazement, God’s love flowed through her, and she was able to forgive him wholeheartedly.
Reflection
Corrie ten Boom shared how she realized that forgiving and loving our enemies is not an emotion but an act of the will empowered by God. Like Corrie, we may not feel like forgiving at first, but when we obey God and rely on Him, His love empowers us to love our greatest adversaries. Let’s remember how Jesus loved the very people who crucified Him and even us, whose sins put Him on the cross. May we shine the light of Christ through love and forgiveness.