The Lord's Prayer: Forgive Us

This week my church returns to our study of the Lord's Prayer. We've gotten to the passage that has several interpretations. Fill in these blanks: Forgive us our _________, as we forgive _____________.

Think of how that first blank has been filled: forgive us our sins, forgive us our trespasses, forgive us our debts. It has also been interpreted: Save us from the time of trial. I've seen interpretations that talk about evil. Here's how the Message says it: "Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil."

I read the interpretation from the Message, and my first thought is: well, there's no need to say more. It's beautiful in its simplicity, and in the way that it covers so much in just a few words.

Most of us were probably taught this part of the prayer as a way to remind us that we need to forgive everyone. I was taught that we forgive everyone whether or not they've asked for forgiveness. As an older person, I see the harm that this approach can do. Forgiveness can lead to a dangerous lack of boundaries.

I also know that anger and holding onto hurt will damage us far more than forgiveness will. Our current society offers any number of examples of that.

The time that we inhabit also offers us examples of evil moving through the world. Now more than ever the prayer to keep us safe from the Devil seems necessary.

We may not believe in a supernatural being called Satan or the Devil, but it's hard to argue that there is no current of evil moving in the world. Some years some of us are lucky, in that we may not feel the force of evil directly--but always, ALWAYS, somewhere in the world, evil runs rampant and destructive. Some years, evil moves to the surface of the world in a way that few deny. But even if we're having a lucky year of being left alone, evil always lurks and waits for an opportunity.

We pray for protection, all sorts of protection, with this petition. We need to be saved from the larger evil in the world, and we need to be saved from the evil force that we unleash from the way we handle hurt and disappointment. We need to remember that we're not perfect, but we are forgiven. We need to keep our hearts soft and forgiving. We need to be protected from those who would take advantage of our soft hearts and forgiveness. We need to move forward without getting sucked into the destructive spirals of self-loathing and shame.

We need this petition each and every day.