"Jesus does not promise that when we bless our enemies and do good to them they will not despitefully use us and persecute us. They certainly will. But noteven that can hurt or overcome us, so long as we pray for them. For if we pray for them, we are taking their their distress and poverty, their guilt and perdition, upon ourselves, and pleading to God for them. We are doing vicarouslyfor them what they cannot do for themselves. Every insult they utter only serves to bind us more closely to God and to them. Their persecution of us only serves to bring them nearer to reconciliation with God and to further the triumphs of love."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship.
