Ralph McTell
Father Forgive Them
Jesus was a man who kept the company of men
Till he got betrayed by one of them
And surely that must have been the biggest sin
But in his final hour, he even forgave him
And what he asked you then, well I now ask you too
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"
For they too have their cross to bear
In your love, please let them share
For Jesus would have understood
And brought them home to you
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"
Now, most of us are troubled and we cannot understand
Anything that doesn't fall into our scheme or plan
But it's we have made the rules, and we must share the blame
For it's we who make outsiders, and it's we who give them names
And while we're praying for them, what we really ought to do
Is say, "Father, forgive them, but please, forgive us too"