The Mediator Mic

Loving our Neighbors and Enemies Class

 In this one session, Mother Ezgi invites participants to wrestle with one of Jesus’ most radical commands: to love those who oppose us. Drawing from the Book of Common Prayer’s petition “For Our Enemies” and key Gospel passages such as Matthew 5, Luke 6, and the Parable of the Good Samaritan, she explores how Christian love moves beyond emotion into action—praying for, blessing, and doing good even to those who harm us. The lecture contrasts Old Testament understandings of “neighbor,” examines the revolutionary nature of Jesus’ teaching within both Jewish and Roman contexts, and highlights how genuine discipleship transforms systems of reciprocity and power. Ultimately, it calls the Church to embody God’s own mercy and to practice love that transcends prejudice, self-interest, and boundaries, echoing the heartbeat of the kingdom itself.