Shaun Groves
I found this “prayer” today while writing the chapter of my book on Jesus’ blessing of the peace makers in Matthew 5. I won’t be able to use any of this, too far outside the scope of my chapter, but I wish I could. I wish I could if book readers could talk back to me about it. That’s the bad thing about books: When words provoke a feeling or thought or action, you can’t turn to the author and tell him about it and have him turn back to you and say “you’re full of it” or “me too” or “tell me more.” So, I’ll post this here instead. What does this passage make you feel, think, or want to do? I might even tell you you’re full of it or exactly right or ask you to tell me more.
O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle — be Thou near them! With them — in spirit — we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it — for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.
~Mark Twain
The War Prayer
(Written during the Philippine-American War)
Stephen @ Rebelling Against Indifference says:
This should get some good discussion.
That’s my favorite thing that Mark Twain wrote, part of a short story called “The War Prayer”. I posted the rest of it on my blog last year for the “National Day of Prayer”.
Anon says:
umm… me no likey… Didn’t Jesus say something about blessing those who curse you and praying for your enemies?
Seth Ward says:
I love Mark Twain. Huck Finn is my all-around favorite book. Used to read it once a year.
The quote is brilliant. He was an Atheist who understood how Christians should act better than Christians. Maybe that’s why he was an Atheist.
I like his one, posting for the heck of it: “The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.”
emma says:
that quote makes me want to be sick… and yet all too often I know that is how I think. God, I can be so full of myself sometimes.
Shaun Groves says:
Read this thing in context by clicking Stephen’s link in the first comment. In context it’s even more, um, I don’t know the word.
greg mazunik says:
Kinda reminds me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail…”O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayest blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.” And the Lord did grin.
Stephen @ Rebelling Against Indifference says:
Disturbing and brilliant is how I describe it, Shaun. And I love the last line: “It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.”
Just after I posted that last year, the SBC had their national convention where they had Condoleeza Rice as one of the main speakers, and cheered that the damned are damned. It somehow reminded me of this…
Noelle says:
I’m not disagreeing that so many times we do not have the compassion or love for our enemies that Jesus instructed us to have and I’m not disagreeing that we should. That being said, I’m reading through the Psalms right now and many times David prayed that his enemies might be destroyed (that they might fall into the traps they have set for themselves). How does this compare with what he said… or does it? Thanks for any input.
Shaun Groves says:
My understanding is that because of David’s “anointing by God” and His people’s “chosen”ness with God, David’s enemies were God’s enemies. David’s people were God’s people (100%) and God was their God – that was the arrangement. Those who cursed David/God’s people were cursed the bible says, and those who blessed were blessed.
Does George Bush and America have tis same arrangement? Is America or any other nation claiming the same relationship to Yaweh that Israel had with Him in the Old Testament? Is any world leader today claiming the same relationship to God and the same role in His plan for God’s people that David had?
Can a war be justified outside of this status?
When Jesus arrived on the scene and announced that the kingdom was now here (Mark 1) did that change anything in regards to violence, war, politics, etc?
I don’t know all these answers. Just throwing them out there for discussion, Noelle.
brad andrews says:
are you sure brant hansen didn’t write this prayer?
sardonic brilliance that twain had…
noelle says:
What you’re saying make sense. I definately agree. I knew there was a difference b/c many times you can’t justify war since the reason is selfish… but I just couldn’t think of what it was. Thanks for your input!
lorijo says:
“instead of hoping that God is on our side, we should be praying that we are on God’s side.” a quote I heard my senior year in college. regarding “sides” we can no longer claim that God is on MY side. Because he isn’t. We are either on God’s team or we aren’t. Then there is the love your enemies thing, and the love one another commandment. I was really intrigued by the idea of non-violent pacifism (i think it was) also during me senior year. I used to subscribe to the just-war theory…but now, i really wonder, i struggle with these ideas and how we can justify war with a non biblical principle, if i recall correctly from my sophomore research on the just war theory.
interesting quote. really interesting. hmm.
the comments on David and his enemies also make me think… i sometimes fail to understand those psalms…but i’m still learning. random thought here: maybe we should take those psalms more as spiritual enemies and spiritual battles in applying the psalms to our lives…just a thought. feel free to correct me =)
lorijo says:
sorry guess i was thinking about pirates…during me senior year. hehe. i mean during MY senior year.
Ichabod's Fortune says:
Unfortunately this is just another example of how we as Christians can be so self-centered that we don’t remember that God loves everyone, regardless of their country of origin. Despite political affiliation everyone receives God’s love in equal measure, right?
“He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45