“38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. Love Your Enemies 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:38-48 ESV)

Half the battle is praying for the enemy. That is to say, resilience is a necessary assumption, the fact we can go through the lion’s lair and emerge with our Creed intact and our Instincts not dullened. More, the Prize… this is crazy talk… the Prize is that in praying for an enemy we learn a bit around the erratic nature of war. We learn that all kinds of crazy jaunts are taken by said enemy—by we ourselves—for lack of Knowledge. That is, we are in this Together, to bark where a dog’s bark is needed and to warn where warning is germane, to prevent a mass casualties of the spirit. Because people will go to war over nil and nada, over nothing and emptiness. Because they “Thought” they had it all put together. Because they underestimated the playing field, or simply gosh be darned forgot to “think that way”.

To pray for an enemy is to seek a Prize called sagacity, called wisdom, called learning advanced for our years. At the same time it is to hear the alternative doctrines whispered in our ears, during a therapy session in any way it appears, neighborly dialog, parent-teacher dialog, family hearth dialog. We roundly reject so much, because it is from an earlier epoch, or let’s face it: churches get lost in their efforts at Holiness, and forget simply the doctrines of moderation, of caution around intimacy (that is, as David’s men were warned in the Hebrew Scriptures, not to have relations with a partner if one is on a the march). And likewise Grace rushes in to say, every day is either (choose your perspective) ripe for grand acts of the spirit and body, and welcoming the Forgiveness if such grand acts indeed are actually sin.

Grace is the doctrine wherein we dwell murmuring and Low, low to the earth, to the ground, aware a Man Died for this creed, and our own lives are therefore conscripted; that it is no small day of outlay that day when we literally walk in forgiving of ourselves and of others: of praying for the enemy, of the Radical Outlay of the Christian soul on patrol. In this Experience, Knowledge, we are built up and Eager to thrive. We are eager to testify. We are eager to go boldly into the night, because of the gentle assurance endemic to having Shared the Good Word, the grand vision—nevermind bark and threat—the grand Vision of how—never mind losing face—we can prepare for Tomorrow.

But the coming storm, figuratively already experienced as tempests in teacups, we will be rather Bold to latch onto safeguarded pillars, on to each other, on to those of Advanced Pedigree, who are manfully, gently, weathering the Already Storm. Such are some of us! Such is the Christian’s soldiering walk, to serve a King and find rest and repose in Knowledge of His love for us. And to go through the battlefields of personal inventory, or just of praying about our own needs, this is to rest easy and be emboldened to adopt the doctrine called Grace.