If you’ve grown fond of the little yellow minions making their way around contemporary media, you’re probably familiar with the animated movie, Despicable Me. It’s the story of an evil villain, Gru, who adopts three little orphan girls to aid his plot to steal the moon, but who ends up falling in love with the girls and becoming a real father to them. In the end, the despicable Gru is gloriously redeemed, and audience hearts soften toward him as much as his heart softens toward the girls.

The scenario is all well and good in the world of fantasy, but we don’t live in a world of fantasy.

Truly Despicable

In early February 2015, ISIS—the militant Muslim group—released the video of Jordanian pilot Lt. Moath al-Kasasbeh being burned alive. The outrage was significant as U.S. officials called the pilot’s killing “an act of despicable barbarity.” Furthermore, many in the Muslim world find themselves distraught in light of the militants’ cruelty.

On a national level, we expect governments to somehow squelch this reign of terror in a way that will ensure the future safety of all people. But on a personal level, how are those who profess Christ to respond to such inhumane behavior?

If we take the words of Jesus seriously—and we should—then love should be our response (Matthew 5:43-45). The problem is, however, that loving barbaric terrorists is entirely unnatural for us. Blowing them up, or in some other way giving them “their due,” seems much more appropriate.

Christians in the modern West are often unaware that this type of cruelty has been directed against Bible-believing Christians throughout the centuries. The Roman Emperor Nero is reputed to have used Christians as human torches to light the night sky. Only a little research will show that Nero’s barbarism is by no means unique over the course of human history.

What does stand out as being unique, however, is the way that many early Christians responded to periods of intense persecution. They loved and prayed for their persecutors. We’re not talking about prayers for death and judgment but for forgiveness and eternal redemption.

The Power to Love

These early followers of Christ understood something that seems to have been lost to the Western church in recent years—God’s grace gives us the power to love despicable people.

What else is there to say? I don’t find myself capable of loving cruel barbarians, but the God who dwells within me through the presence of the Holy Spirit certainly is capable. In fact, He is more than capable. Furthermore, He expects us to love even our cruelest enemies.

Such depth of love requires God’s transformational grace to be at work in our hearts. Not only do we find unmerited favor through the grace of God, grace also gives us the power to love despicable people.

photo credit: Despicable Me Gru Halloween Mask 2014, Spirit Halloween, by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube. #Despicable #Me via photopin (license)