Our Father 7

Evil at the foot of the pulpit of St.Mary's Church, Bergen. The woodcarvers of the baroque had a vivid interpretation of how and what the evil was like. It felt right to put him under the foot of the priest .

"But deliver us from evil"...

I know what the evil wants; murder and destroy. Spread conflicts, jealousy and hatred among friends, in families and in the church, and thus tear the good work down.

I sincerely pray God to protect us from all the evil's cunning attacks.
He has promised to do so. "Keep close to him, and he will keep close to you."

There's another even worse trap to walk into; be an evil doer myself. To seek revenge, and be tempted to use testimony and real evidence to hurt a person.
I know I feel tempted, so therefore I whispering pray,
"Deliver me from evil and from being evil or do evil".
.

A good way of swearing

The composer Harald Severud had a nephew, who for a while was teaching piano in my home-town Sauda back in the early sixties.
Once his famous uncle came and explained the background for this mighty piano piece.
Back in 1942, while Norway was occupied by the Germans and the Nazi terror was at its worst, Severud felt overcome by both anger and powerlessness.
His father had strongly forbidden his boy to swear, so even as an adult this was not an option.
Instead he composed this mighty Kjempeviseslott, "Ballad of Revolt", which for ever has stood as a symbol of resistance to injustice and terror.
I never learned to play the piano, but I never forgot this concert from my early youth.
These days this "protest music" once more help channelling my emotions.
Thought I'd like to share.