The parable usually called the “importunate widow” (when was the last time you used “importunate” in a sentence?) has been interpreted as an admonition to pray unceasingly. Because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her. While ceaseless prayer is certainly good advice a closer look at the parable offers another possible explanation. God is NOT an unjust judge but a loving Father who does not need to be nagged in order to bestow blessings upon us. Perhaps in the parable the widow is the one who acts as God! God persistently keeps battering at unjust systems which prevent the people of God from living in peace. We join our prayer to the divine mission for a more just world.
