Friday, July 08, 2005

A Hard Prayer

For our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, O Lord.

Lord, have mercy. --
Noonday Prayer

That’s a hard prayer to pray today. Especially for Londoners.

This prayer asks for forgiveness, for enemies to become friends, for the humility to know when we have hurt others, for the acknowledgement of our complicity in the world’s pain.

I have no idea what that looks like in an age of terror. But that’s the challenge for us Christians, isn’t it? To figure out what self-giving, suffering love looks like in our time, then live that way?

No one said that following Jesus would be easy. In fact, we’ve been warned that the opposite is true.

3 comments:

Mike said...

Kevin,

This is a prayer I will try to remember when dealing with our friend Richard.

I honestly believe he has sone serious problems. I think I may slip into what we Buddhists call 'noble silence' - if you can't use Right Thought and Right Speech when dealing with someone, you answer with silence and ignore them.

He, and to a slightly lesser extent Jeff, have been testing my ethics lately.

Just a freindly reminder that they shall reap what they sow (or as we more modern Buddhist like to say 'Karma is a bitch' ;) ).

Keep it up and Nill Illigitimi Carborundum

Unknown said...

Mike,

Yeah, he's a real piece of work. He has a pre-concieved idea about who and what I am that he doesn't really hear what I'm saying.

I've decided I'm finished responding to him. My energies can be better devoted elsewhere.

kgp

Anonymous said...

Kevin, you haven't responded to our posts at My Blag.