This essay argues that in teaching love of enemies, Jesus Christ does not aim to show that his teaching is morally superior to other religious founders. Instead, what Jesus is pointing out is that there will be only two options left for us – violence and exclusion unless we learn to practice love of enemies. The tension between the Burman majority and ethnic minorities has been deeply ingrained, and the tension creates a yawning chasm between the Burman ethnic majority and minorities. This essay argues that teaching on love of enemies is not merely Christian property; it can also be discovered in Buddhism. For the gospel-believing Christians, the ethic of loving enemies plays a central role. Therefore, this essay concludes that only through learning to love one another regardless of racial and religious differences, shall we be able to build a nation where diversity (racial or religious) is not denied but welcomed and embraced.
Keywords: love, enemies, ethnic majority, the Burmans, exclusion, isolation, separation, distance, agape, mettā