The Lord’s Prayer, or religion for that matter, is not my usual subject,
but I ask a little leeway here, as I do believe spiritual health is part of wellness.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in Heaven
hallowed be thy name.
The kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power
and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen
As I sat in church this morning, The Lord’s Prayer was speaking louder than usual to me. “…as we forgive those who trespass against us.” in particular. I asked myself who out there do I need to forgive? I know I haven’t forgotten some “trespasses,” but have I forgiven? Truly forgiven? And why is forgiveness so darn hard sometimes? The Lord has forgiven us, and He proves it over and over.
I wondered how many others are saying this same prayer around the world, weekly, daily. How many denominations pray The Lord’s Prayer? How many congregations, just on Sunday mornings, are saying these same words? Does each individual think about what they are saying and praying? I don’t mean that in a judgmental way at all. I’m a big believer in judge not, lest ye be judged. But seriously, if every one of us praying The Lord’s Prayer said these words and really meant them, what would the world look like?
We are all works in progress. Forgiveness is part of that work. I don’t believe we can summon forgiveness the same way we can force a smile. If only it were that simple. We can commit to giving forgiveness serious consideration. Forgive the driver that pushed in ahead of you. Forgive the relative that made a hurtful comment. Forgive the friend that voted for the other political party. With forgiveness, comes tolerance, kindness, peace and even love.
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