"Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that you Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."(Mark 11:25)
While many people believe in multi-tasking I'm not sure that it can happen in every activity. I know that if I let other concerns enter my mind when I am at the gym, my routine slows down. I lose count of how many sets I've done. When I stay focused on why I am there, it goes much better.
The other exercise in my life is prayer. Again when I stay focused on what I'm doing and why, it goes better. When I think of the different forms of prayer, for example centering prayer or walking a labyrinth, the process of emptying my mind so that I can hear more clearly what God needs me to hear, is essential.
While Jesus is not advocating any particular method of prayer, he does point out a real stumbling block in prayer. If I am focused on the wrong that has been done to me by another, it will be hard to enter into a helpful place of prayer. Perhaps the invitation is that before we get going on what we'd like to have happen, or whatever it might be that we are praying for, we need to make sure that we have started the day off with a fresh slate, not only for others, but for ourselves as well. Perhaps that is why a general confession of sin is found so early in the service of Morning Prayer.
And what is so true is that offering forgiveness is not for the person whose done the wrong, but it is for ourselves. It is the first step in healing, it is essential to letting go and moving on. It gets us past our hurt and anger and frees us up to focus on the things that really matter.
Blessings,
Ed
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