When we start talking about "Christ Triumphant" it really is quite good to push it and ask how far it goes. I think Willimon begins to do this.
Knowing what we do of the loving eros of God in Christ, should we pray for the salvation of all? Jesus clearly commands us to love our neighbor, which might be reason enough to pray for the salvation of all. The astounding thing is that Jesus commanded us even to pray for our enemies. Jesus' demand that we pray for our enemies is a teaching that is virtually unknown in any other faith that is alternative to Christianity. Jesus' demand to love enemies and pray for those who persecute would, I suppose, included loving God's enemies and persecutors as well.
Willimon also includes that he is disappointed that so many churches pray for the health and wholeness of those within the congregation - but this is "a far cry from the church that is commanded to pray for our enemies." I really must have the Spirit of our Lord pour out the water of baptism on me when it comes to this. It is so hard to think well of my enemies - let alone lift up their voices and pray for them. And yet, it is in the lifting of the names and seeing them in my prayers that I start to be healed and made whole because they (enemies) become more than enemies. If I keep them in the box in which I place them, my world will be so much easier to handle - ha! It is always amazing to me to see how quickly I can jump into the fire that keeps maintaining enemy lines. It drives me nuts. It causes me to walk away wondering what has possessed me. For as liberal as I can be with my interpretation of images, I really do think I let my ego or other powers possess me. Why...?...I don't know! I wish I did. But even then, I cannot say that I would be able to stop setting fire to the world and making nothing new within the world.
Connection: What do you do when you see that you have a short fuse and it has already been lit? Are you able to put it out or do you let it go all the way and let the fireworks begin?
You, O God, are the one who brings us into the realm of your peace. And yet, we resist and we fight it and we choose to make war even as you bid us come and rest in you alone. Please, soften our hearts and prepare us for the journey of reconciliation and hope for we really do not want warfare. Amen.
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