Praying for Assholes
Luke 6:27 & 28 "But to you who are listening, I say love your enemies, do good to those that hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you."
I am sure that if you are reading this, you will know at least a couple of assholes. The kind of people that will want to create difficulties for you; just because they like to do so. Whether it be for personal entertainment, or some other hidden agenda, or just because they are miserable and cannot stand the idea that others are successful and happy. Assholes. Sorry for the foul language, but truly, the word asshole seems so descriptive of these, well, you know.
We live in a world that stresses vengeance. Do not let that person get away with doing that to you. We practice being ugly people with each other. Our marriages become areanas for competition. One of the women I am blessed to work with recently lost a close friend over a cigarette thown out a window. This was based on another person's desire to be ugly in the world.
The bible talks about this kind of greed and competition. I believe the admonition of "an eye for an eye" is not a recipe for justice, but a limitation of vengeance. We live in a world that invites us to be bitter, angry and hostile. Paul writes of this in Romans, "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife and deceit, and malice."
Then we have Jesus.
Reminding us about "an eye for an eye." But then he adds, "But I tell you."
His famous words. Gently telling us that we have it wrong. These are not easy words that follow. Not at all, easy.
I am dealing with an asshole as I write this. Honestly, I think he is a waste of oxygen. And I have taken to praying for him frequently and regularly. And no, I do not pray that he gets what I think he deserves. I pray that he might come to know love and peace. At times it is harder to pray for him than at other times.
Do not think for a moment think that I am some sort of spiritual master. I pray for him for a number of reasons. One of them is that Jesus has told me to do so. And I understand that if I saw him the way God sees him, then the context of what is happening changes.
Honestly, I pray for him because I want to keep from what he creates in me from coming into my home, and my relationship with Wanna. I do not think it is possible to be loving and gentle with Wanna if I entertain fantasies of zap strapping the man to a chair and covering his head with paint remover.
When I step back a bit, and put a bit of perspective on what he is up to, then I begin to realize that he must be miserable indeed. There are those who go into this field I work in, because it gives them the ability to fuck with others. I see it all the time. People who want to be telling others how to live their lives out. People who think they know what others should have, or not have, in their life. It is not even morally based, rather based on their own personal preferences. It has given me a good idea of what life with pharisees might have been like.
So I pray for him. At the end of the day, I am happy that I am I, and would not want to be that miserable asshole.
I also pray for myself. I know that if I am angry, and spiteful, and ugly of spirit, then I am likely to miss all of what is offered to me. I do believe that what we focus on, is what we create in our lives. Not in that mystical, energy attracts energy kind of way. But in a very practical way. If I am simply thinking about how awful the world is, then I am likely not to see the beautiful, the lovely, and the desirable. Praying for this asshole, allows me to see what is good in the world around me.
I end with - Finally, brothers and sisters. whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.
Then we have Jesus.
Reminding us about "an eye for an eye." But then he adds, "But I tell you."
His famous words. Gently telling us that we have it wrong. These are not easy words that follow. Not at all, easy.
I am dealing with an asshole as I write this. Honestly, I think he is a waste of oxygen. And I have taken to praying for him frequently and regularly. And no, I do not pray that he gets what I think he deserves. I pray that he might come to know love and peace. At times it is harder to pray for him than at other times.
Do not think for a moment think that I am some sort of spiritual master. I pray for him for a number of reasons. One of them is that Jesus has told me to do so. And I understand that if I saw him the way God sees him, then the context of what is happening changes.
Honestly, I pray for him because I want to keep from what he creates in me from coming into my home, and my relationship with Wanna. I do not think it is possible to be loving and gentle with Wanna if I entertain fantasies of zap strapping the man to a chair and covering his head with paint remover.
When I step back a bit, and put a bit of perspective on what he is up to, then I begin to realize that he must be miserable indeed. There are those who go into this field I work in, because it gives them the ability to fuck with others. I see it all the time. People who want to be telling others how to live their lives out. People who think they know what others should have, or not have, in their life. It is not even morally based, rather based on their own personal preferences. It has given me a good idea of what life with pharisees might have been like.
So I pray for him. At the end of the day, I am happy that I am I, and would not want to be that miserable asshole.
I also pray for myself. I know that if I am angry, and spiteful, and ugly of spirit, then I am likely to miss all of what is offered to me. I do believe that what we focus on, is what we create in our lives. Not in that mystical, energy attracts energy kind of way. But in a very practical way. If I am simply thinking about how awful the world is, then I am likely not to see the beautiful, the lovely, and the desirable. Praying for this asshole, allows me to see what is good in the world around me.
I end with - Finally, brothers and sisters. whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.
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