Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven …..
The prayer that Jesus gave us as a model prayer has some very profound concepts in it. What are we really asking God to do on earth? Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. We know that everything in heaven does God’s will. We also know that is not true on earth.
Evil abounds everywhere in every part of the earth. It’s not just in the Middle East or Africa. It is in Europe, in Asia, in South America and even here in the United States. Bombings and shootings make us afraid to go out into a crowd. Big cities have more crime but this is different now. It can happen anywhere. A few people have become radical their hatred for others different than themselves is seen as a reason to kill and destroy.
If we really mean it when we pray for God’s will to be done on earth, it requires us to take action. God’s will is accomplished on earth by us, those who are believers. It requires us to reach out to those who despise us, even those who hate us. That will be difficult, especially if we caused them pain and suffering by the acts we did toward them. God will give us the courage to approach the person we have wronged, to ask forgiveness and work to mend a broken relationship.
Many cultures hate those who are Christian or those who are poor or those who are different. Affluent cultures despise those who are homeless or poor. We all have our prejudices. We need to ask God for help in reaching out to even the worst offenders such as ISIS. Our prayers will begin the process. It will not happen immediately. However, over time we can change the world by sharing God’s love with others. Only then can God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
