I just read ‘The Trespasser’ by Tana French. It’s written so well that I stayed up way past my bed time and could not put it down. The next day, I wondered about the word “trespasser”. There were many characters in the book who might be accused of trespassing and I’m unsure which one character is ‘The Trespasser’.  (If you’ve read it, I’m curious who you think the trespasser is.)

More common than ‘trespasser’ is the concept of ‘No Trespassing’. I’ve seen quite a few ‘No Trespassing’ signs in rural areas, not so much in the city, though they are sometimes posted on front porches. ‘No Trespassing’ implies ‘Do not come here. You are not welcome, not one bit,’ and that sparks many possibilities as to the reasons why someone might post such a sign.

And of course there are other types of trespassing: crossing personal boundaries, stepping on another’s toes and feelings, taking credit for ideas, etc.

It appears that trespassing is so common, and has been historically, that there is a well-known Christian prayer regarding it. (The Lord’s Prayer). In this prayer, trespassing is mentioned with the daily desire to eat. “Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us….”

Perhaps we all trespass daily, unless we consciously choose not to. If someone trespasses, you forgive them. (Depending on where you draw your line – another topic.) Forgiveness is an action I’ve learned over time. Its power is strong and it is a life-changer.

All of this musing over the title of a book I highly recommend. (See on-line reviews for the premise.)

See you next space.