Recognizing our Enemies helps Growth

People or races may have enemies but each of us individually can also have an enemy. This is not somebody far away but somebody close to us, within our circle, at work, in our family, neighborhood or community. This person seems like a threat to our freedom and personal growth, someone who puts us down, pushes us aside, contradicts us and makes us feel small, angry, anguished, frightened and depressed. An enemy like this cannot always be named or perceived as such. A possessive mother can stand in the way of her child's freedom to grow. She can become her child's enemy. If we want to progress along the path of openness and universal love, we need to become aware that we have enemies.

- Jean Vanier, Our Journey Home, p. 231