In 2006 I spoke to a group of Army chaplains, all colonels and generals, at Hilton Head, South Carolina. Having almost no personal exposure to the military, I was impressed by the pervasive discipline. Meetings started on the dot at “0800” or “0900,” speakers presented for at least an hour, and no cell phones went off or got used for text-messaging.
Citing a passage in my book Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? I told of the stunning scene I had witnessed at the headquarters of the Soviet KGB in 1991 when a Russian colonel repented of his nation’s behavior and vowed to place a copy of the New Testament in the hands of all two million members of the Russian army. After his passion and sincerity had melted my initial skepticism, I realized to my shame that I had disobeyed Jesus. “Love your enemies,” he said. “Pray for those that persecute you.” Not once in the Cold War of my lifetime—and I grew up within range of Soviet missiles in Cuba—had I prayed for my enemies.
“Who are our enemies now?” I asked the chaplains. “We know them by name and face, for Donald Rumsfeld put bounties on their heads and distributed their images on a pack of playing cards to your troops.” I then flashed onscreen a photo of a dozen al-Qaeda terrorists. “What would happen if every church in the United States adopted a member of al-Qaeda, learned to pronounce his name, and prayed for him. Isn’t that what Jesus asked us to do?”
A short time later I heard from an Army reserve chaplain whose commanding general had attended the gathering at Hilton Head. Just before mobilizing for a year of duty in Iraq, as part of his civilian ministry he launched a web-based prayer movement called Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer. He registered the website as ATFP.org, an ironic echo of the Defense Department’s own “Anti-Terrorism Force Protection.” On it he posts photos of actual terrorists from the FBI’s and State Department’s most-wanted lists and invites users to “adopt” one to pray for. More than 800 people have done so.
Warfare against terrorists has a spiritual component, believes Thomas Bruce, the Army reserve chaplain, who has a doctorate in ministry. He recruited a board of directors who have experience with spiritual warfare, including an African-American survivor of the civil rights movement and a Cuban-American former agent of drug enforcement. As he deployed to Iraq, Bruce urged, “While I beg you to pray for soldiers, I beg you also to pray for their enemies. When God answers those prayers, this war will end.”
Later, on returning from Iraq, Thomas reflected, “For the past year I have been in harm’s way at the front line of America’s national response to terrorism. Through this website everyone can join the front line of a Christian response.”
He writes on the website, “The intent of terrorists is to inspire terror. According to Jesus, the antidote to fear is love. When we hate, we are reactive victims. When we love we seize the initiative. Love for country helps soldiers to risk their lives. Love for children enables parents to discipline them without being intimidated. Love for us took Jesus to the cross. Love for enemies will give courage to face, overcome, and transform them and the environment that breeds them.”
Not everyone appreciates Thomas’s efforts. When CNN online reported on ATFP.org, reactions ran two to one against the effort.
Some verged on ridicule: “Christians come up with some goofy stuff. This is right up there.” “Love your enemies, and your enemies will KILL you.”
Some mocked prayer: “There is no end to the madness in religion; Prayers do nothing, well except for being a lame excuse for doing nothing.” And, “How about using this ‘prayer’ energy to feed starving children.”
Some disagreed with the entire concept: “If you harbor anything but hatred for these terrorists, your morality is simply malfunctioning.”
Some gave political retorts: “I decided to use this site and pray for G. W. Bush and Dick Cheney, but I couldn’t find them on the list.”
Undaunted, Thomas is raising funds to improve and expand the website. Having served on the front lines, he has no illusions about the challenge that terrorists present. Nor does he underestimate the power of prayer, citing an example from the Book of Acts:
Historically, Stephen was the first fatality in terrorism directed against Jesus’ followers. As Stephen died from stoning, he prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Later Saul, who had supervised Stephen’s stoning, met Jesus in a vision and repented. Can we pray today like Stephen prayed then?
He adds one last poignant question, “Would Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, have met Jesus if Stephen hadn’t prayed?”
You have a gift for sifting through contemporary issues and revealing the truth and simplicity of God’s Word. It is a daily struggle to live in this world and not conform. Thank you for consistently directing our attention to the Word of God.
I graduated from Wheaton, lasted almost a semester at CBC, found my wife of 54 years there, went on to med school then psychiatry. We have been involved in Young Life for over 50 years. I just finished a book on the non effective treatment of PTSD
by the VA health care system. What Good is God? is a great book. I don’t fit in the E church or in the main line church. Dale Bruner wrote a great commintary on Matthew.
You would like him. Keep writing.
Dear Mr Yancey,
(This is not explicity related to the blog – I wanted to write but couldn’t find a “contact” place on the website.) I have been reading “Prayer” and after reading the parts on unanswered prayer, wondered if you had ever read “With Christ in the School of Prayer” by Andrew Murray, or E.M.Bounds on prayer (both 19thC pastors). Both point out that there are relatively few examples in the Bible when the answer to fervent, “believing” (i.e. the pray-ers are not regarding iniquity in their hearts) and persistent prayer is No. (The examples they cite are Moses wanting to go into the promised land, David pleading for the life of his son by Bathsheba, Jesus in Gethsemane and Paul’s thorn.) They suggest that Christians too readily presume that their prayer requests are “not God’s will” and give up prematurely when, if we were to persevere in prayer, we might actually see the answers we seek. In persevering in prayer God can show us if there are hindrances to our prayers being answered (unconfessed sin, say, or the need to learn patience) that can be removed over time. Murray in particular emphasizes that God will still answer, even if the answer has to be “No” and advises that when we pray, unless the answer is clearly No, we are to persevere until we get an answer. Jesus did talk a lot about perseverance (the parables of the unjust judge and friend at midnight). These two men’s writings changed my outlook on prayer and I’d highly recommend them So did the examples of George Muller and Hudson Taylor. You briefly mention Muller in your book, but, if I may say so, did not do him justice. You probably are aware that he embarked on his ministry (which involved raising over 10,000 orphans) with the intention of showing people that God does most definitely answer prayer. Taylor started the China Inland Mission and over his lifetime over 18,000 Chinese people became Christian. Neither he nor Muller solicited funds or told others of their needs – they only told God.
Please forgive me if I’m sharing things you already know – I wanted to pass them along because they have made me a more confident and triumphant pray-er (and I have seen more answers to prayers) than I was (or saw) before and thought they might be of interest to you. Your books were some of the very first I read as a new Christian 20 years ago and I have always been grateful for your work.
Can we go to war when we see our enemies as human like us? As I consider the idea of loving and praying for an enemy of war I remember reading Alls Quiet on the Western Front. As victors of WWI we identify with the horrors our soldiers faced in the trenches because of the Germans, however, the book brings home the truth that the German soldiers were human and suffered the same experiences. Soldiers use various techniques to dehumanize the enemy so they can kill without hesitation. I can’t help but think that humanizing an enemy would make the job of a soldier very difficult, causing even more psychological distress.
Terrorists are filled with hate for their own reasons. Maybe if we had cared about the plight of others around the world, those reasons wouldn’t exist today. Our lives, our decisions, our elections, and our government policies are all made in a reaction to fear. Fear of loosing our way of life, our wealth, and our children. Our selfish, protectionist philosophy isolates us and hardens us to the plight of others, especially other cultures. Terrorists are not born they are disillusioned suffering people who develop a heart full of hate for the Western countries who have forgot them. However, we cannot remove hate from another persons heart, especially a terrorist heart, but the great thing is God can. The thing is though, He should start with our hearts first because until we learn to love others in this world we will continue to villify our enemies and back ruthless dictators to ensure our interests are met at the expense of others, thereby creating societies that breed terrorists. We need to pray for understanding, empathy, and forgiveness on both sides.
As an aside, thank you for recommending the book A Problem from Hell by Samantha Powers, it was very interesting.
Another great post, Philip. John Howard Yoder’s old 1973 book ‘What Would You Do…?’ also has some god tips about alternative approaches to enemies, written of course from a pacifist Mennonite point of view.
I’ve given up the blogosphere for Lent this year, but your is one of the two blogs I make an exception for, because reading it does me so much spiritual good! Thanks again!