I’m remembering part of a story, the important part, which I’d like to pass on. A major attack had just occurred on a people. An eminent peace leader had been giving a talk when they were interrupted with the news about the attack. The leader asked everyone in the room to pray for the people—the attackers!
I thought of this story recently when a friend wrote to me about a tragedy that had just taken place in her small town. An eighth-grade boy was showing the dad’s gun to his older brother, a high school senior, who was accidentally shot and killed. A few days earlier, another friend shared with me the recent suicide of her friend’s fiancé. These events taking place before the holidays were heavy in my heart.
My intention is not to re-traumatize. My only purpose in writing about these events is to remind myself of the power of prayer this holiday season. It doesn’t take much effort to send a prayer to victims and family members of those whom we feel compassion. However, it can take serious conscious effort to send a prayer to the perpetrator of any event.