People (Part Five)
O God,
Thank you for people.
Thank you for the relationships
we have with some and for the
connections we have with all.
Thank you for the people
who are our enemies.
That’s a strange thing to say
and a hard prayer to pray.
But God, we need to remember
that our enemies are people, too.
They have their experiences
and their perspectives.
They have their reasons,
which seem good to them.
They are your creation and
your children. You love them.
You call us to love them.
So thank you for them.
Thank you for the opportunity
they provide us to find out just
how well we are following you.
After all, you told us to love
them and to pray for them.
Help us to grow toward doing so because
our hearts are so filled with your love
and grace that we can’t help ourselves.
In the meantime, help us to pray for them and
to try to love them because you told us to.
Help us to be obedient
until we can be gracious.
If we have harmed them, forgive us.
If we are partly or wholly responsible for
the enmity between us, forgive us.
Help us to forgive them for
the hurts they have inflicted on us.
Bless our enemies, O God.
Bless us as we try to bless them.
Amen.
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