Father! Don't forgive them. They knew what they were doing!

Recently I have been thinking that some of my brothers and sisters in my church have intentionally chosen to use the antithesis of Christ's prayer which he said while being beaten and nailed during the Crucifixion--
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
 and His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane-
"Not my will but Thy will be done..."
Perhaps as we live from the influence of our false selves, we want to say: "Not Thy will, but my will be done."

I have mentioned this to my Friday morning breakfast group. They laughed, but I don't really think it is that funny.
There has been talk of reconciliation. Some of the folks who like to act as if they are "hurt" in a piosity that is very interesting-- have taken action that seems more like that of retribution. The angry, "I want it my way" demands of this little movement seems way out of character for folks who speak earnestly of reconciliation. It is more like those who wanted the adulterous woman stoned. Was that reconciliation?
One of my "girl-friends" in the church even put it this way in a public meeting--"you guys ought to take a chill pill!"
I guess it is human nature to go for that "eye for an eye" stuff.

Funny how we like to use really pious language about high sounding things like reconciliation and following the Spirit, not policies or legalism. Funny, that piosity is starting to bug me a lot.
On second thought, it is not that funny.
Maybe that is why ol' James, Yeshua's "Bro", made such a big deal of us being 'doers' of the Word and not just hearers. Doing right is more important than simply talking about doing right.
I think actually living a life as an ambassador of reconciliation is more important that trying to get the Council to form a "Team for Reconciliation", that has the full authority of the church...
by the way, who needs the authority of the church, to ask another church member for forgiveness?
I do like James's reasoning...it is high time to be "doers", not merely hearers and big talkers.
Right?

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