COME TOGETHER IN PRAYER & MEDITATION
by Ellen Caringer, PhD
Let us, from all faiths, come together in prayer and meditation over these next four days, just as we did in the days leading up to the November election.
At a time when the community is suffering, no one should say, “I will go home, eat, drink, and be at peace with myself.” – Babylonian Talmud Taanit, IIa.
Do not defraud people of their property, nor go about spreading corruption in the land… And O my people, give full measure and weight in justice and do not deprive the people of their due and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption. – The Qur’an, Surah Hud 11:85
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)
On Tuesday we face a crucial election in Georgia. This election may very well determine our ability to make any progress toward healing and restoring a nation. We have suffered at the hands of public servants who put themselves and their party ahead of the wellbeing of the nation and the preservation of this democracy.
On Wednesday, we face an electoral college count like none we’ve ever experienced. There will be senators and congressmen willing to overthrow the will of the people, by claiming without evidence that there has been a massive fraud in our election system. While this is not expected to succeed in overturning the will of the people and the Biden/Harris election, it can succeed in further dividing our nation, and deliberately making it more difficult for those public servants who are seeking to bring us together as a nation.
And so, in the spirit of the passages above, let us, from all faiths, come together in prayer and meditation over these next four days, just as we did in the days leading up to the November election. Let us envision and prayerfully ask that ethics, justice and righteousness be restored in our nation. Let us pray for the election of leaders who are willing to address the hard questions of systemic racism and intolerance. In Hawaii we talk about the need to be “pono” in our actions and our deeds so that our community can be one that is righteous and just for all people, not just the preferred few. So please consider this a call to prayer and meditation for the health and wellbeing of our democracy, and that the events in our nation will be events that lead to peace and justice, rather than violence and hatred. Mahalo for joining us!
Dr. Ellen Caringer is a member of the Shine Your Light Team, and is a psychologist and neuropsychologist on the island of Maui. She has been church pianist for Keawalaʻi Congregational Church for over twenty years, and is one of the founders of Hui Aloha ʻO Maui Indivisible.
Left: Dr. Caringer, holding one of her pups, Matilda, shines her light in Kihei, on the Island of Maui.
