He wrote something that ended up on the bedroom wall of Mother Teresa. You might expect it to be the work of a much-heralded saint from church history. Nope! It’s written by a relative unknown in religious circles. He’s been a faithful Sunday School teacher and choir member, but hardly a theological heavyweight.
Kent Keith (1949-) could be classified as the quintessential American entrepreneur. He’s been an attorney, a state government official, a high-tech park developer, president of two private universities, former YMCA executive and lay preacher. He wrote a book in 1968 titled Paradoxical Commandments that included several of his own poems. One of his poems found its way to the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India where Mother Teresa lived. The poem certainly fits what we know about Mother Teresa’s tenacity as a follower of Christ. While technically not a prayer, it can be used as a aid in prayer. For instance, in the first line, Keith mentions people who are “unreasonable, illogical, or self-centered” and then resolves with God’s help to forgive them anyway. As you go to God in prayer today, identify people in prayer you have a hard time forgiving and ask for God’s strength to forgive them anyway:
Kent Keith
People are often unreasonable, illogical, or self-centered, forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives,
be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies,
succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people might cheat you,
be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight,
build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous,
be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow,
do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and though it may never be enough,
give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it’s between you and God,
it’s never been between you and them anyway.
Rev. Dr. Peter James served 42 years as the senior of Vienna Presbyterian Church in Vienna, VA — 21 years in the 20th century and 21 years in the 21st century. He retired in 2021 and now serves as Pastor-in-Residence at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Even as a pastor, prayer came slowly to Pete. Read Pete’s story.