DAILY BYTE
You cannot pray the prayer Jesus taught us to pray without acknowledging that there is raw evil in the universe.
Again, the Lord’s Prayer is very specific in acknowledging that facing evil, just like temptation, is not about trying harder as a human being, but about believing that GOD ALONE can deliver us.
Like temptation, evil is found right at the beginning of the salvation story, personified in a snake which encouraged Adam and Eve to live by half-truths and lies. Isn’t that almost always the nature of evil – vague and full of half-truths and lies?
The NRSV remains true to the most ancient versions of the Lord’s Prayer because it translates this line not as ‘deliver us from evil’ but rather ‘deliver us from the evil ONE.’ We dare not allow evil to remain vague. We need to name it to face it.
So when we pray what are we really saying ... deliver us from what?
God deliver us from a world of war! God deliver us from a world of hunger! God deliver us from a world of inept and unjust governments, a world of terrorism and bloated, self-important dictators! God deliver us from pride of race and nation, from racism and sexism, from genocide and civil wars!
God deliver us from all of that ... but even more than that. For the real purpose and triumph of evil is the hardening of our emotional, spiritual and relational arteries.
So when we pray ‘deliver us from the evil one,’ we are also praying for insight into the evil that we as good people, with good intentions, might nonetheless do. Deliver us from anything we do or say or think that contributes to racism, sexism, hatred, suspicion, bitterness, cynicism ... evil.
God deliver us from any of those things becoming true in us. So we are not just asking to be delivered from evildoers, ‘others’ out there, but also praying that God might deliver us and the world from the evil that we ourselves might do.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Gracious God, we pray specifically for situations of evil that we are aware of – for both victims and perpetrators [name some different situations]. We also pray for ourselves and ask that you save us from perpetuating any form of evil [again name any specifics you are aware of]. Amen.
FOCUS READING
Psalm 141. 3-4 NRSV
Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not turn my heart to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with those who work iniquity; do not let me eat of their delicacies.
