A phrase I hadn’t noticed before in the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8 reminded me of the deep goodness and gifts of growing older.

“Loving our enemies” is not a mere lens through which to see the world, but a mandate Jesus actually means us to follow. Jesus shows us the depth of his meaning as he embodies his own words on the Cross, saying of those those who falsely accused, mocked, tortured, and murdered him: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”