Warm Your Enemies

[Jesus said,] “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High.” – Luke 6:35 (NRSV)

I heard a podcast the other day about a scientific concept called “kleptothermy,” which refers to a way that animals stay warm by stealing heat from one another. Kleptothermy happens all the time in the wild. Snakes sneak into birds’ nests, just to snuggle. Baby crocodiles nestle themselves into termite mounds. Rats, penguins, even humans do it (think puppy cuddles). In fact, stealing your heat from somebody else is more efficient than eating, exercising, or even lounging in the sun.

Kleptothermy is pretty off-putting to me. I think it would be nice if we lived in a world where each of us had all the heat that we need, and we didn’t have to steal to stay warm.

But, as it turns out, this would be disastrous. Indeed, there will be a time when everything will be the same temperature. Scientists have a name for that, too: “thermal death.” And it will be the end of the planet as we know it.

Jesus didn’t study kleptothermy, but he knew that our survival is dependent on one another. He knew that our warmth is not meant to be hoarded but shared generously, even with our enemies. He knew that to be a child of the Most High, we must measure our lives not by what we can gain, but how we participate in a thriving, beloved community.

So, praise God for the give and take, and give your guinea pig a little squeeze from me.

Prayer
Holy One, open my heart. May I be as generous with your creation as you are with me. Amen.

About the Author
Kate Kennedy (she/her) is the Pastor of the Congregational Church of North Barnstead, NH.