President Obama's speech

President Obama gave an excellent speech yesterday. I rarely agree with him on political issues, but he did a fine job.

In the hours after the shootings in Arizona, there seemed to be a fit of insanity among some Americans. Some claimed the attacks were politically motivated (there is no evidence to back this up). Others indulged in death wishes against political leaders and commentators they hated (such as this one).

As Christians our orders are clear. We are to pray for those we consider our enemies; not wish them dead. Praying for someone you oppose politically does not mean agreeing with them or their policies (that is a common misconception about praying for someone). It is recognizing that they are God's children as well - something that is far too easy to forget.

Please pray for your enemies. Whether you do it in public or private is irrelevant. Just pray for them. If you don't know how to pray for your enemies, ask for God's help.

Pray for Gabrielle Giffords and her family, and all of those who lost loved ones on Saturday in the shootings. Pray for the man who did it, and for his family. Pray for President Barack Obama and Sarah Palin. Just pray.