Much has been written and said about prayers offered at the beginning of City Council meetings and at other public events, especially those offered in the name of Jesus. This tradition has existed throughout the years when the population of Roanoke and the nation was basically Christian – and continues to be with us. With continuous accelerated multicultural growth however, has also increased religious diversity that City Council has for many years attempted to respectfully acknowledge by welcoming representatives of different religious persuasions to offer the opening prayer. It is inconceivable that anyone would be invited to offer such an invocation in respect of religious diversity and then be told what to say, what not to say or that it must conform to a particular trend of thought.
I experienced a similar incident while serving on a committee for the Roanoke Valley Ministers’ Conference/NCCJ annual breakfast several years ago when the president of the Conference at that time was a Baptist minister. I do not recall who dropped the ball in getting the message to him that he was not to pray in the Name of Jesus during his invocation. I do recall that the result was met with much chagrin.
We personally applaud Council’s continuous effort to respect all faiths in its attempt to diversify the spiritual tone of each meeting. However in doing so the beliefs of each invited guest should be respected. That is one of the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of this unique nation.
Prayer is a ladder by with everyone may ascend to heave, according to Muhammad. Yet today prayer has for too many become a mere with list or an emergency SOS call when all else fails. Among Nipsy Russell’s wit I recall: “Help a man who’s in trouble. Help him and never complain. Help him and he will remember you – when he gets in trouble again.” Unfortunately, such is the relationship of far too many of us with our Creator.
In its purest form prayer is reverent communion with God (however we perceive Him or by whatever Name). One can only attain such spiritual altitude by thinking and caring less for material things and more for the spiritual. The further we go from the one, the nearer we are to the other. It’s a matter of choice.
Aside from reverent communion with god, prayer may also be expressed in other ways, we learn from the Baha’i Holy Writings: “Prayer is not confined to the use of words of prescribed forms, as important as those are.” We are told, “One’s whole life should be a prayer, that work done in the right spirit is worship, that every thought, word and deed devoted to the glory of God and the good of one’s fellows is prayer in the truest sense of the word.”
“Go is one; man is one, and all religion is one, begins on Baha’i children’s song that ends with “… When everyone learns the three Onenesses we’ll have world unity.”
Celebrate and respect diversity! (Investigate!)
