To love one's neighbors

By Dr. Jay White

A month ago, I wrote a letter to the editor about prayer that received many diverse remarks. I thought I would try to elaborate and clarify my point of view.

Recently, while working on a series of messages about the Sermon on the Mount, I came across a story by Mark Twain. This short narrative is one of the most penetrating understandings of what Jesus meant by loving our enemies. The author titled the piece "The War Prayer." Twain recognized the explosive quality of this work and asked for it only to be published after his death.

In Twain's story, a congregation meets for a prayer service on the day before its young troops are to march off to war. He writes of the lengthy, patriotic-centered ceremony and tells of the enthusiastic fervor. Passionate and confident prayers abound from the pews. The church folks pray that God will protect their boys and bring them victory. They ask that God defeat the enemy and to grant their country unblemished victory against their oppressor.

As the service is about to end, an aged stranger comes in from the back and slowly moves up the middle aisle of the church to the front podium. He politely asks the preacher to step aside and announces that he is a messenger from the Almighty. This is his message:

"You may have your request granted if you fully understand what you are asking for. In fact, your prayer is two prayers, not just one."

The stranger persists, "You have given voice and consideration to one of the prayers. However, there is also your unspoken prayer. You have asked for the annihilation of your enemy, and you must listen to that request as well."

The stranger verbalized the congregation's unspoken prayer:

"Help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells. Help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale form of their patriot dead. Help us to drown the thunder of guns with the shrieks of their wounded writhing in pain. ... Blast their hopes blight their lives. Stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet. We ask it in the spirit of love."

He then looked at the congregation and said, "This is your entire prayer, and if that is still an expression of your faith, then so be it."

This fascinating story helped me realize that there are always two sides to our prayers.

When Jesus spoke that we must love our neighbors, he was asking us to see life from the other person's perspective. God's kingdom is far more than the values we place on self.

May our consistent prayer always be to love others and to see the world through Jesus' eyes.

Dr. Jay White is pastor of the First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau.