War Prayer

The War Prayer takes place in present day, during Sunday services at a church in Any Town, USA. On the eve of war, our Reverend leads the congregation in a prayer for the protection of our soldiers. In closing, he makes one last, seemingly innocuous request "...and grant us the victory, O Lord."


"Amen", and the service proceeds as usual until the arrival of a mysterious stranger, "a messenger from on high", who silently ascends to the pulpit and proceeds to explain "the full import" of the congregation's request, the "unspoken" part of their prayer.


What follows is Twain's masterful, yet horrifying depiction of warfare, an unrivaled indictment of the carnage that man has committed against his fellow man since time immemorial.


With The War Prayer, Twain grabs our conscience by the lapels, and challenges us to re-examine our most cherished beliefs about patriotism, and what it truly means to be an American.


"I don't think the prayer will be published in my time. None but the dead are permitted to tell the truth." -- American Writer, Mark Twain

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[billysoffhismeds]

Interesting how, in times of war, everyone thinks God is on their side.

The War Prayer is a powerful message - to those who choose to listen.

[MrRottenApple]

When they say "God Bless America"

Think about what Jesus Said:

"Love one another as I have loved you", "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" and "love your enemies, do good to them that persecute & despise you"

Now when certain of the Jews and the Gentiles rejected, despised, persecuted, tortured, mocked and beat, and nailed Jesus to the cross, an innocent man, without just cause, you know what he said?

Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.

What did the US do?

[DickSimmons2]

@KevJJ888 That's why its an adaption, not supposed to be word for word.

[KevJJ888]

Nicely done, but MAJOR points of Twain's play are missing:

- Twain did not mention Jesus or Christianity. All religions have these prayers.

- Twain did not mention America. All nations have these prayers.

- And you left out two crucial parts * when the Stranger says: "The messenger of the Most High waits. However, be warned…Your enemy has prayed for the same." * when the people say "Afterward, we agreed the man must have been insane." To show the message had not gotten through.

--Peace

[paradoxparody]

@blacksabbathgnr098 thats what this is or at least part of it

[2012hereandnow1133]

THANK YOU for this! It is message is even more pertinent Now! What have we learned on this day after 9-11? I fear .. nothing. I hope .. everything.

[SuperGetitgotitgood]

whats not added is that along with mangling enemy soldiers and civilians (that pesky little thing we call collateral damage0 the bodies of our own sons fathers brothers daughters and sisters are mangled and torn, their families left grieving, and then the soldiers ad marines who come back have their souls ripped out by what they have seen and done. if you dont have compaassion for the foriegners have some for the boys that trust our country not to waste them in some strange land

[bluehaxor88]

I feel like I should post something witty, or quote some famous person with an anti-religious statement. However, I feel too moved by that video to think of anything.

Bravo, kind sir (or madam), for posting this excellent video.

The message is clear: whenever someone prays for victory, they are also praying for defeat. Victory in a race, victory in business, or victory in war, someone else's life is forever changed should there really be an almighty listening to you.

Again, Thank you.

[scinoir]

@Serai3: Yes I have read the original. I did not assume you wanted to see a wealthy business man, I was simply trying to understand what appearance would be consistent with the time period of the adapation. Surely, he would have looked out of place in robes, and robes are not synonomyous by any stretch with Godly. In the original, his hair is said to be a frothy cataract, which I take as matted and unkept. His skin was also sickly pale. I believe in the original work he looked homeless.

[Serai3]

@scinoir Why are you assuming I think it should have been a wealthy business man? Where did you get that idea?  Have you even read the original work? The messenger was described by Twain as a tall, thin elderly fellow with long white hair, dressed in a long white robe. He LOOKED like an angelic messenger. While they might not have accepted him as an angel, his appearance was enough to give them pause to listen. Here he's someone who would be instantly rejected by most people.

[scinoir]

@Serai3: Jesus didn't come as the son of a wealthy business fellow, and neither was he handsome by Western standards. He was the adopted child of a guy who married his pregnant mom. (Word on the street was that his mom was a harlot who got knocked up). David was a herder of sheep. Don't you remember the blessed are the poor, ill, and frail?

I imagine God would be more likely to communicate through a homeless man than a well-dressed business man. How better to test the warmth of your heart