and a measure of his openness to new ways of living faith. Amen.
February 15, 2017
Dear God, please bless all those whose resistance cannot be publicized. I have known many wonderful administrative assistants and secretaries in my life. They know how things get done. I have been thinking since November that there are women and men behind desks who will misfile things, forget attachments, or otherwise slow down the implementation of new unjust policies. Or perhaps make information known, when not doing so would endanger our democracy. These people probably will not get to feel the life-giving solidarity that is shared at rallies, or to feel the appreciation of others who thank them for their work. Instead, I suspect, their resistance is lonely, and perhaps frightening. I suspect it stems from a sense of duty, patriotism, and an unwillingness to lose one’s self through acquiescence.
During WWII, there were several different means of protest. While some people hid Jewish families in the attic, others forged papers, and others publicly denounced the Nazis. One group of resistors, called the White Rose, was made up mostly of about five college students and one philosophy professor. They dared to have conversations on campus, and to produce a series of leaflets urging nonviolent resistance to Hitler. It must have been both tempting and maddening to think that printing some leaflets couldn’t really make a difference. Yet they did it anyway. Eventually, the members of the White Rose were caught, to be executed or imprisoned.
We don’t look back at the White Rose group today and critique their methods. Well, that might not have been the most efficient, or the most effective, or reach the widest audience, or, or, or. Instead, we look to them with honor and hold them up as examples of ordinary citizens who—in the ways available to them—tried to prevent harm and foster justice.
For those honorable people who use whatever means available to slow the implementation of unjust policies, I give thanks. For those faithful people who use the tools at hand to protect human lives and American democracy—even though no one will ever know—I pray. You know what they are up to, God. Give them guidance and strength. Grant then discernment and protect them from temptations towards power. Keep close to their hearts the principles and peoples who would be swiftly damaged by the new political realities in DC. Protect them, sustain them. Grant them determination and a strong guiding hand. And somehow give them joy. Amen.40
February 16, 2017
Dear God, please bless the writing teachers. They know the world does not need another batch of five-page essays on Moby Dick. But they believe that learning how to construct a thesis statement, and a paragraph, and to connect subject with verb in a sentence, will help students learn how to think clearly. And the world desperately needs more clear thinkers. Bless the writing teachers with hope and patience, God.
And while you’re at it, grant some determination to the geometry teachers who drag reluctant adolescents through the basics of logic. If this is true, and this is true, then you can logically conclude this other truth. Not because we need basic proofs recreated, but because the exercises teach students how to think clearly. The science teachers—please grant them the gift of inspiring curiosity, the tenacity to nourish it, and ample safety glasses. What is your hypothesis? How could we test that theory? Watch what happens. Take notes. Draw conclusions from the evidence. Most of the students will never repeat any specific experiment, but they still learn to think clearly. God, we need clear thinking. And it appears to be thin on the ground, so please grant strength and power, creativity and humor, and a sense of just how vital their work is, to the teachers. Protect those lessons on clear thinking. We need them. Quick. Amen.
February 17, 2017
During the day, I pray a lot of “are you kidding me?!” type prayers, and a lot of “Please God protect” kind of prayers, and a fair number of “may the odor of skunk fill his nostrils day and night” sort of prayers. At night, I ask God to bless particular people or groups who are resisting the forces of hate and fear around us. It is a discipline that makes me notice those who are working for good, and to hold that which is positive in the light of God’s mercy. I post them here because I want to be connected to all of you in this moment. Some of you have found these prayers helpful, and I am glad for that. I try to remember to make them public so they can be easily shared.
This morning, I received a prayer request. A loved one who served in the military was joining other veterans in South Carolina to protest the current administration’s policies. One veteran said, “this is horrifying to what WE stand for. It is a disgrace.” Another veteran lamented, “It’s breaking my heart.” It has been a privilege to pray for them all day.
Dear God, please bless the veterans who are protesting. These brave souls have shaped their lives in an effort to serve the common good. When it comes to the aspirational values of the United States—justice and freedom for all—they have skin in the game. And arms. And legs. And lives. The sacrifices they have made on our behalf command respect.
Now, they are fighting for our country in a different way, by demanding that we move towards the values we proclaim and not away from them. From South Carolina to Standing Rock, veterans around the country are calling the government and the people of the United States to become who we say we are.
God, please surround these veterans with your grace and peace. Give them a steady sense of your presence as they, again, work for the common good. Energize them with a sense of community, purpose, and calling. Grant them levity; bless them with joy. May their demonstration of true patriotism instruct and inspire us all. Amen.
February 18, 2017
God of knowledge and wisdom, I pray this night for reporters and journalists. Bless their efforts to know and understand our shared world, to communicate with accuracy and clarity, to provide the transparency upon which the premise of government by, for, and of the people rests. Protect them from harm, as many willingly go into dangerous situations so that the truth might be known. Guard their families, who must worry. And tonight, God, after they have been maligned, give them comfort and sleep.
In the morning, please set them on fire with determination to do their work. Give them a collaborative spirit, that their efforts might be multiplied. Guide them to investigate the most fruitful leads, and scatter their paths with useful information. Fill their days with happenstance that points them in the right directions for vital stories. Sharpen their minds to attend to details, and give them focused energy for long hours of research.
The motivation of a little righteous anger would seem appropriate, too, God. But you know best. Amen.
February 19, 2017
God of all creation, please bless the scientists who rallied today in Boston. Give them stamina not only to do the work of science, but to resist this administration’s attacks on data, funding, and the very concept of facts. These people didn’t sign up to be political activists. But they recognize how high the stakes are at this moment, and that telling the truth is a necessary political act. Grant them encouragement and creativity in the new roles they now occupy.
Scientists exemplify an important virtue. They regularly take in new information and revise their conclusions in accordance with the data. This means they are always open to the possibility that they have been wrong and they are willing to change their views. It is a discipline of humility. God, while you bless these scientists-turned-activists, please grant the rest of us a measure of this virtue. Help us to face the facts around us and to respond accordingly, even when this means changing our understanding. May we be more concerned with truth than status, and may we always seek to know you more. Amen.41
February 20, 2017
Holy God, I give thanks for the 16 members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who resigned
