Love your enemies

I had a snarky article written up about how Americans send about $50 million of our hard-earned cash overseas every single day, much of it to governments that don't exactly support American-style freedoms and a few of which consider the governement of the United States of America to be an incarnation of evil. When I looked up Matthew 5:43-48 in the Bible, however, I decided those scriptures stand on their own. I'll save the snarkiness for another day. Feel free to provide your own interpretations and life applications in the comments.

You have heard people say, "Love your neighbors and hate your enemies." But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors love their friends. If you greet only your friends, what's so great about that? Don't even unbelievers do that? But you must always act like your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:43-48. CEV.