For my enemies?

Pray for who?
Dear God, are you serious?
Do you even understand what you are asking?

You have heard that it was said,
“You shall love your neighbor
and hate your enemy.”
But I say to you,
Love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,

But God,
I stand here,
I remember the day
When the sky turned to smoke,
And buildings fell to the ground.
I remember the pictures of the loved ones, lost.
The enemy sat in a room
Smiling,
Counting as the planes carried hatred
Into buildings
With fire.

And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Forgive who?
Dear God, are you serious?
Do you even understand what you are asking?

But God,
Surely you saw it.
Your heart must have been broken that day
When your children died
Such a horrible death
At the hands of hatred.
I saw it.
I saw the heroes,
The lost ones,
The wives left alone
The children without the love
Of their young lives.
I saw it.
The fear, which still lives.
The hatred, which never healed.
The holes,
In the ground
In our hearts

When they came to the place
that is called The Skull,
they crucified Jesus
there with the criminals,
one on his right
and one on his left.
Then Jesus said,
“Father, forgive them;
for they do not know
what they are doing.”
And they cast lots to divide his clothing.

It is said that forgiveness
That prayer for one’s enemies
means to stand in front of God
And pray for the best to happen
To your enemy.
To pray for that person
As that person would pray
If he were standing there.

As the son died for us
For our sins.
Hanging there
On that cross.
As if we had been hanging there
On that cross.
For our sins.

I think he may be serious.
I believe that he understands what he is asking.

God, grant me grace.

Scripture stanzas: Matthew 5:43-44; Matthew 6:12; Luke 23:33-34