It is not hard to love our friends and to return their favors. Much the same can be said about loving people who have the same cultural backround that we have. But things get more difficult when we must first build bridges to reach people on the other side -- people on the wrong side of the railroad tracks, people who are different, people whom we may consider a nuisance.
A property own inquired of an agricultural expert how to get rid of dandelions. The latter replied, tongue--in--cheek, "Learn to love them." When applied to undesirable people, this is a hard lesson to learn and to translate into practice. But that is what our Lord wants us to do -- Learn to love them! As Jesus said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt 5:44)
What about your relation to people who, at work, in community life, in school, even in church and home, get on your nerves? Learn to love them -- and to favor them with words and deeds that proceed from love. Love does wonders for them and for you.
Learning to love the unloved and unlovable would be difficult -- in fact, impossible -- without help from God. Jesus realized this, saying that when we love our enemies we are the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. Here is where the family resemblance shows -- like Father, like children. The Father makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and unjust. What is infinitely more, He sent the Sun of Righteousness, His own Son, to die for the sins of all. He gives us also the Holy Spirit to work faith, thus endangering both the willigness and power to love others.
God bless you all,
Matt