One of the strengths of traditional Anglican liturgy is that it recognizes we have enemies, real enemies, and that we need God to defend us from them. Some enemies are spiritual, namely Satan; some are internal, such as besetting temptations and anxieties; some are, yes, societal, such as the current panic; some are very impersonal, such as viruses and disasters; and, yes, some are people – there are bad people, lots of them, who would do us ill. We are to love those people; we are not to enable them or grant them success in their evil.
Traditional liturgy reflects all this well as Laudable Practice recognizes. For example, the Litany prays:
That it may please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts.
And also later prays:
From our enemies defend us, O Christ
Graciously look upon our afflictions.
Remember Jesus said love our enemies. He did not say we do not have any. Just the opposite.
Then there is this week’s collect for the Third Sunday in Lent:
A timely prayer, is it not?
Now some moderns and post-moderns and other foolish people are squeamish at the mention of actual enemies.
I am not among the squeamish. Instead, it both comforts me and strengthens my backbone that the Book of Common Prayer meets head on the enemies of God and of us.
We beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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