National Day of Prayer 2012
I just had the honor of joining dozens of local residents gathering together to pray for our communities at the Bill Library in Ledyard, Connecticut. I was asked by the event coordinator to participate and pray over the media in our region. I gladly accepted!
Here’s what I said:
When I think of the role media has in our society, I see them as agents who bring truth (and sometimes half-truth!) to light, which otherwise might have remained unknown. With this in mind, I began to reflect how truth and light are both very important to all of us.
Someone once told me that light is silent.
For instance, when you light a candle or flip on the light switch, light automatically happens, silently and brilliantly, and darkness fades away. Therefore, this person resolved that being a light in a dark world is a quiet way to be.
But I disagree.
Don’t get me wrong….I recognize that, as people who try to live for and honor God with our lives, we each carry the light of God’s Spirit within us. We each have a privilege and responsibility to represent His light and truth to the world through our lives and words, and therefore bring glory to God.
But light isn’t always quiet.
There’s nothing quiet about the loud crack of a lightning bolt ripping through the atmosphere in the midst of a really dark storm!
Light is sometimes very, very loud!
Light brings clarity.
Light brings vision.
Light brings truth.
With this in mind, the light of truth can be communicated in one of two ways, depending on the intent of one’s heart:
The first way is through malicious selfishness, designed to provoke fear and spur division among people. But the second way is the way of the whistle blower; one who shines light on hidden evil, getting to the heart of matters with an intent to bring reconciliation, healing and unity.
(Through this blog and my own life, I aspire to be the latter.)
With that said, I offer this prayer:
Father God, I join with thousands of Americans today petitioning You in agreement for Your Word to be a Lamp to our feet and a light to our paths;
I pray for all of us to embrace truth with humility of purpose and extend truth with love for others;
I pray for all media representatives and journalists covering our lives to be driven by a passion to see righteousness, freedom, truth, justice, mercy and love extended in ways that bring reconciliation and unity among all people, rather than the lopsided gossip or slander intended to encourage fighting, division and destruction.
I pray for the warriors among us to arise & shine, for Your light has come! Let their hearts and voices be inspired with passion and boldness to bring truth and reconciliation to families, political parties, communities and tribes.
Let all of us be mindful of whatever is true, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and whatever is admirable;
If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, compel us to think in these ways rather than selfish, destructive ways.
I pray all of these things in the name of Jesus Christ….AMEN.
May God bless America, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and all other tribes throughout North America.
~ Aquene (Peace!)
