Forgiveness revisited

It's funny to me that Monday's post kicked up a stir on social media. But then, the Lord's Prayer is not as straightforward as we Christians tend to think it is. TO give just a glimpse of the complications involved, I offer David Bentley Hart's article "A Prayer for the Poor."

Beyond that, there are the differences between Matthew's version of this prayer and Luke's (see Matthew 6:12 and Luke 11:4). Above all, Luke's is much shorter. But when it comes to the felt need of the one praying it to forgive others, both versions tie the pray-er's willingness to forgive to being forgiven. One little difference, in the original Greek is that Luke's version uses hamartias ("misses") in the first instance- usually translated as "sins" in the NT- and opheilonti (one owing- debtor) in the second- translated as "all who are indebted to us." Matthew uses "debt" for both.

Of course, God not only stands always ready to forgive us but, in and through Christ, we're always already forgiven! Hence, the onus of forgiveness is willingly taken up by the person who prays after the manner taught by Jesus himself. In other words, how can I, in good conscience, ask the Father to forgive me if I am not willing to forgive others? The simple answer is, I can't.

Forgiving as many times as someone offends me, praying for and doing good to my enemies, not seeking to get even or ahead, are some of the most difficult of Jesus' teachings. Like with the Lord's teaching on wealth, we almost reflexively seek to attenuate these teachings. Saint Paul writes about these things as engaging in the agon, the struggle. Any war or battle a Christian fights, as Saint Benedict, who uses martial imagery in this regard (and only in this regard), notes, is an internal one.

Again, what I wrote arose from a prayer experience I had had the previous day. I don't write about those things often. I hadn't done so in a while. I was reminded about why I don't. I still think one of the evils we pray to be delivered from in the Lord's Prayer is the evil of not standing ready to forgive. As with all things I post here, to paraphrase The Dude, that's just like my opinion, man. So, you can take it or leave it.

I took a three-day break from social media this week. I needed it and enjoyed it. Finding a good way to engage remains a struggle for me. Less is better than more, just as some is better than none.

Our traditio for this second week of 2022 is an oldie and a goodie: Simple Minds' "Alive and Kicking." Why? Because, by the grace of God, I am alive and kicking.