Yesterday the Governor of Georgia conducted a community prayer outside the state house for rain. The state and region are facing the longest drought in over one hundred years, and in this dire emergency, he turned to a higher power for assistance. Immediately the media published negative comments about him doing this, and various groups condemned his action on government property.
The United States of America was founded on principles that were directly linked to a belief in a higher power, and our initial representatives prayed before each meeting to ask for the wisdom and guidance to lead them in the right direction. This belief in a higher authority has held this country in good stead for over two hundred years, and separates us from countries that have condemned or forbidden religion, or in the other extreme, allowed only one religion as the ultimate truth. One of the extraordinary things about our nation that sets us apart from others is that 50 widespread and diverse states have worked together to become one family of people, regardless of our religious views and many regional idiosyncrasies. We have agreed to set aside differences to work as a whole unit, and that has made us a great nation. Yet, little by little, we are becoming legal nitpickers who are eroding the good will intended in our constitution. We condemn anyone who isn’t doing it the way “we” think it should be done, and then complain because politicians don’t give us anything of substance in their debates. We are turning into a cookie cutter nation that does not allow for diversity of opinion or beliefs. We are so concerned with being “politically correct” that we have limited the spontaneity of a noble gesture for fear of being sued. On a radio program called Coast to Coast, the host called upon the audience to do an experiment and pray for rain when Texas was having a severe drought years ago. The audience prayed, and Texas received monumental rain shortly thereafter. He tried the same experiment for Florida with the same results, and then got scared that somehow he was meddling with nature. There is incredible power in prayer. It is a link to something uniting, and it is a way of unifying vision through heartfelt action that creates a resonant field of response. For those who don’t believe in it, fine. Don’t pray. But don’t condemn those who do, and who are seeking to bring something that benefits everyone in the process. We should oppose all forms of tyranny, but heartfelt prayer is not one of them. And for those of you who would like to join in the Governor of Georgia’s prayer, let’s ask that the parched land be kissed by the blessing of rain. KJ
