Conforming (phase 2), Jesus Teaches the Way - Arriving to a Decision (cont.)(step17), session 4

"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

"And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

"Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you;
but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
- Mt 6: 5-15

I find myself walking carefully when I offer to pray with someone. I have a bit of a weakness when it comes to the first part of this teaching. I'm not so prone to unforgiveness as I perceive many to be, which just means that I have a different area of vulnerability. This is closely related to my previously-observed tendency to be proud of things that are simply a gift to me, for which I am no more responsible than the color of my eyes. I want to be thought of as wise, insightful, intelligent; even when I try to give God credit for his grace being at work, I sometimes want to be acknowledged for having the wisdom, insight, or intelligence to do so. This brings me back to the Litany of Humility again.

In the latter verses of this passage, Jesus emphasis on forgiveness causes me to wonder once again whether this may is the biggest obstacle to truly walking with him, both now and in eternity. The Shack is a novel that illustrates the great challenges we must sometimes overcome in order to forgive the most egregious offenses against us and those we love, and the great lengths to which God goes (is willing to go, has gone) in order to help us do so. The Unbound model of spiritual deliverance names forgiveness one of the keys to spiritual freedom, and so many people for whom we pray have gotten wrapped around their pain - often unwittingly - by not forgiving those who have hurt them.  I wonder if unforgiveness might be the most common and stubborn sin that must be washed away in Purgatory.