Love is a dynamic thing. It is powerful and beautiful, but it is also allusive.
Jesus commands us to "love your enemies" (Matt. 5:44), yet, many right-winged evangelically inclined Christians tend to be the first in line to remove our enemies. Some ways include an over-emphasis on gun-promotion, over-emphasis on military support, etc.
Is that really "loving your enemies"?
J.R.R. Tolkien personally experienced the horrors of WWI, and he came out of it with a different attitude than many contemporary Christians would relate to. He did not promote slaughter of our enemies. Even in his Lord of the Rings, the war scenes are not celebratory, i.e., he does not celebrate the slaughter of even the orcs.
In Siege of Gondor, he describes the scene of the dying orcs with grotesque imagery, and only due to the intense and reckless hate of Sauron and the King of Angmar (Lord of the Ringwraiths).
Right before the battle begins, Pippin and Gandalf have a striking conversation about Frodo being allied with Gollum. Pippin is understandable disgusted and confused, wishing that Frodo could kill Gollum. But Gandalf says: "Let us remember that a traitor may betray himself and do good that he does not intend. It can be so, sometimes."
The answer is not to kill our enemies. There are unfortunate cases where this is necessary (e.g. WWI, WWII, etc.). But, that should not be our default by any means.
All people are created in God's image, even the soldiers of ISIS, even the doctors who slaughter innocent unborn babies.
Our prayer should be that they come to a saving understanding of our Lord and Savior, that we can forgive them for the horrors that they have committed.
Our aim must be to love them, and invite them into the life of the Church, the life of the Spirit through Jesus Christ.
