avoiding the Test

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and do not put us to the test but deliver us from evil1


Often we run on the street when we see a small opening and the cars have to screech, abruptly halt and we smile saying, “Phew! Made it” We park our vehicles at a no-parking zone. We are always trying our best to rescue ourselves but don't really bother about putting others into trouble and often into sin.

We pray that God not put us to the test for we have an understanding of human nature. Human nature falls easily into temptation and consequently into sin. We don't need evidence of it. We know how easily watching TV has led us into not studying for an exam. Or how not letting go off the computer or snoozing the alarm has made us late. Of how driving outrageously fast to make it to an appointment instead of apologizing in foresight has made us a prey to accidents and an inconvenience to others by over speeding recklessly.

We think it’s all ok because we are getting late and we are hungry and we are sleepy. We are honest until there comes a time our honesty is put to test. Then, honesty was possible because honesty was convenient. Now it has come to choosing honesty and inconvenience, we know who we are.

The character of our honesty, bravery and fortitude is prune under fire when inconvenience is asking us to embrace it. And then love is wanting. We do something that is void of love i.e. evil. And hence the prayer goes, to not put us to the test but to deliver us from evil.

It is amusing how we don't think twice before putting others to the test. Now nobody is born with an inherent skill of driving and not all drive to the same degree of perfection. We easily forget that man is so anxious and always engulfed with thoughts, worries, preoccupations and fantasies that a slight 'test' can derail his concentration along with his car. A million things can go wrong between the clutch, brake, gear and the acceleration. To avoid having to put people to the test is to be compassionate, an everyday compassion

We don’t have to test his driving skills in order to know if he can brake on time if we run while there is not enough time to make it across. This is real life and real people and he shares the same human weakness that we do.

It takes some compassion and concern for others in the ordinary circumstances of life to think, “I will not put him to the test lest he fall” Often we don't want to be patient with work. May be we can. Our friend may have a lot of things to accomplish. It takes some compassion into thinking, “I will not put my friend to test who is already swamped with work lest he be delayed and do them all poorly or not at all. We ought to first know and ascertain the nature of his day. Perhaps we can give the work to someone else but we aren’t thinking hard. Perhaps we don’t wish to embrace inconvenience again of asking someone other than a friend. We find requests and an appeal to our helplessness embarrassing, uncomfortable and thus, inconvenient.

It is Human nature to err and fall and swamping one with work would make them vulnerable to mistakes or delay them and love is demanded of us to others just as we would like others to show the same generosity with us and not put us to the test. Deliver us from this 'absence of love' i.e. evil act of wanting to run before cars, of asking some official to go out of his way for us which might get him in trouble if he is caught. Only for we wish to get our work done. We prefer our selves and our selfishness over the well being of others when we put others to the test.

1 Matthew 6:13