Wriggle, mock, sneer, rationalize, distract, divert, misdefine, defy, and whine as we may, Mark 11:25 says what it says: "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

"Anything"--in Greek, and allowing for cultural differences, unique pastoral situations, wind shear, curvature of the earth, and the extremity of our great specialness as Americans--means "Anything". It means "ongoing impenitence". It means murder/suicide bombing. It means 9/11. It means any conceivable sin. Anything.

Likewise, "anybody" means, in Greek, "anybody". This includes Arab terrorists, pervert priests, wicked bishops and comment box denizens whose rhetoric I find repugnant and evil.

"Forgive" means "forgive". Relinquish my desire for their destruction by God. Will their good. Desire to see them in heaven. Hit on the nose the recurring temptation to wish them harm. Hand them over to God whose judgment is mercy and leave them there. When you find yourself taking them back out of God's hands and playing all the inner tape recordings where you tell them off good, successfully plot their destruction and humiliation, or look on in satisfaction as disaster befalls them, stop yourself. Hand them back to God with a plea for mercy for you both. Do the next practical thing.

Forgive does not mean "pretend they are not doing wicked" It does not mean "do nothing while they get away with murder" or "say nothing when they advocate and do evil". It doesn't mean "bend over and take it", "blame yourself", or "pretend your enemy is not your enemy". Forgiveness for a crime and seeking a warrant for the criminal's arrest are not mutually contradictory activities.

How do I do at this? Lousy. I leave a trail of debris behind and I have people in my life who can easily point to all the snotty responses and crushing retorts that I just *had* to get off before I abandoned the fight. But the fact that I suck as the messenger doesn't negate the message. Mark 11:25 says what it says. My task is to conform better to it, not pretend it doesn't exist.