Editor’s note: Singer/Songwriter and participant of the Red Letter Christians Artists and Musicians Collective, Paul Demer, recently released a new congregational worship song entitled “Love for Enemies.” Read about it and watch the lyric video below!
I originally wrote “Love For Enemies” for New Braunfels Presbyterian Church (USA) in the Texas Hill Country. I was coming through on tour, playing a concert and doing some guest worship leading. One of the lectionary passages for that Sunday was Luke 6:27-38. After some searching I realized that I didn’t know many songs based on that passage, so I decided to write one. We strive to love our enemies because Jesus loved us “while we were still sinners.” This is such an important part of Christianity, but it’s so hard to actually live out, especially in an election year! As we seek to do justice let’s not forget to love kindness and walk humbly with our God, even in 2020. They will know we are Christians by our love.
V1:
Your rain falls on the wicked ones
And those seek your way
Your kindness waters all of us
Who grow beneath your grace
V2:
You lend without a hope of gain
And give to all who ask
Your love is not a scarcity
Your mercy holds us fast
C:
You reached across the great divide
In drawing near to us
Teach us to cross our battle lines
And face our foes with love
V3:
To love the ones who loved us first
Is fine and commonplace
But love that asks for nothing back
Reflects the Father’s face
V4:
Then let us to practice charity
And lay our judgement down
Till enemies are understood
And empathy is found
C:
V5:
You found us when we lost our way
Recalled when we forgot
When we were foes you sent your Son
To be all that we’re not