10) Love your enemies

I don't know that Tish Warren gave much thought to order among these volunteered resolutions, but I can't help but think it makes sense to finish up the list with a resolution that is humanly impossible. It comes from John Inazu, who wrote Confident Pluralism, and who, therefore, one might expect to say what he did: "Pray for political leaders — especially ones you don’t like," a resolution in the same vein as a biblical mandate also all too sufficient to turn you inside out: "Love your enemies." Yeah, sure.

An old friend once explained grace to me in this way. "I got to believe," he said, that if there's an elevator to heaven, when I'm standing there waiting on the third floor or whatever, and the door opens on the way up, it could be Adolf Hitler standing there, on his way to glory."

Something like that. You get the point: Grace--real, 100% grace, means that someday I could possibly play a heavenly round of golf with Hitler or Eichmann or Mengele.

I've never forgotten that blasted mustache behind the sliding door, because, I suppose, the idea has to be right, even though seeing him there makes me wonder, momentarily at least, whether I want to go on up. I can't help thinking if that, on some dewy heavenly morning, one of them shows up at the course when I do, I'll stay out on putting green just to miss being thrown into a foursome I'd despise.

“Think about our political leaders and pray for the ones you don’t like," Inazu says. "But make them prayers of gratitude: for the things they do well, for the people whose lives they help improve, for the ways they contribute to human flourishing. And if you can’t come up with anything, ask yourself if it’s because they need to change or because you need to change.”

Owwwwiches!

I don't know that Jeremiah could have come up with a more deadly stinger. "Love your enemies?" Give me a break. Pray for the man who blest us with the Big Lie? the man who, single-handedly, is bringing on what could well be a democratic apocalypse? Give thanks for how Donald E. Trump is contributing these days to "human flourishing"? 

Tish Warren's number 10 is, on its own, as good reason as any to laugh off New Years Resolutions altogether, as most of us eventually do. I should commit myself to praying for Donald Trump? Inazu can't be serious. 

Tell you what--on the day Trump prays for Democrats, I'll pray for him. How's that?Let's make a deal here. Mike Pence may be praying for the Donald. Maybe Lyndsey Graham and probably Steven Miller. Steve Bannon?--sure. Jim Jordan, that Gosar cuckoo bird from Arizona. Kevin McCarthy should spend time on knees for the Orange Man, if he isn't already.

But me?

Can't be done. Humanly impossible. 

But then, I guess that's the point, isn't it?