From the Kansas City Star Wed, May. 09, 2007
By LEWIS DIUGUID
Columnist
Prayer always matters, deeply affecting individuals and their quality of life.
Such thoughts can get lost in today’s multitasking, time-sensitive world. But prayer relieves us of earthly concerns, minimizes our stress and radically slows the rush. Prayer offers the opportunity to be more thoughtful, more creative and more connected to our creator.
People of different religions shared similar views earlier this year at the Annual Interfaith Luncheon sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Kansas City Section, and the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee.
“Don’t let anybody rob you of the opportunity to develop your spiritual self,” said Rabbi Amy Wallk Katz, who moderated a panel discussion. “You have the power to determine how you are going to pray, when you are going to pray and what it’s going to feel like.”
Katz urged people to look beyond themselves to learn about themselves.
That’s so important now because fundamentalism in many faiths is causing so much confusion, violence and destruction. Learning about other religions provides clarity and erases misconceptions.
“Prayer comes from the heart,” said one panelist, Haskell Indian Nations University professor Daniel Wildcat, of the American Indian tradition. “We learn there is no time in life when prayer isn’t appropriate in some way.”
The Jewish tradition teaches that mundane things such as the body’s many functions are sacred, Katz said. Prayer brings wonder into our lives.
Another panelist, Bethany Klug, a Buddhist, said, “My teacher says when we are mindful, we are in the presence of God.”
The Rev. Yolanda Villa, the third panelist, encouraged people to keep their “antennae raised” so they can get God’s signal.
Wildcat said many American Indians’ prayers give thanks to the creator’s things such as the earth, plants, animals and the air. “You get closer to the creator by acknowledging this other life around you,” he said.
Buddhism also has that sense of connection. “We’re trying to cultivate in our hearts that we are connected and not lose sight of that,” Klug said.
Evangelical Christians now are seeing this relationship and are opposing global warming and the extinction of species.
The panel also agreed that prayer makes a difference in the world. Even when people ask for miracles but nothing happens it doesn’t mean God isn’t intervening, Villa said.
“The divine is always working,” Klug said. “We’re the ones that get in the way.”
She added that when people are overwhelmed, they sometimes must pray to “stop being at war with themselves.” They should focus on things that give them joy. It gives individuals a strength to develop a happiness so they can evolve.
The panel agreed that in addition to people praying individually they should pray with others. “There is something powerful in coming together and sharing something like a prayer,” Wildcat said.
He said people must be mindful to not dictate to others how they should pray, to what god they should pray and what they should seek in their prayers. “We’ve been on the receiving end of that for a number of years,” Wildcat said to audience laughter at his historical footnote for American Indians.
Prayer is a wonderful gift to humanity. We just have to practice it in a mindful way to make this a better, more peaceful and egalitarian world for everyone.
Lewis W. Diuguid is a member of The Star’s Editorial Board. To reach him, call (816) 234-4723 or send e-mail to Ldiuguid@kcstar.com.
