O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted on us, remember the fruits we have bought, because of this suffering - our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown out of all of this, and when they come to judgement, let all the fruits we have borne be their forgiveness.”
-- The prayer of an unknown woman, found on a piece of wrapping paper in Ravensbruck concentration camp; taken from Monica Furlong's book, Women Pray.
2 comments:
10 years ago, to the day, I remember reading this prayer in a book of women's prayers I have. It struck me so deeply in the days following the terrorist attacks that I emailed it to close friends. This past week, I found myself remembering the prayer and wondering what fruits we have borne and hoping our enemies' redemption does not depend upon the fruits we bear. May we bear more fruit in the next 10 years. Thanks for posting this.
A bit heartsick today because of what appears to be another's actions against me...and reading this from a woman in Ravensbruck....how can I not forgive as well? Thank you so much.
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