Perfect Whole
About two weeks ago, Julie wrote a thoughtful piece, “Don’t Pray for Peace,” which succinctly considered what might be needed, and might not be so needed, in trying to reduce violent conflict in the world. In that post, Julie expressed ideas that echo many people’s sentiments. They are important ideas, and I wish to respond to them on a personal level. I hope that I am interpreting Julie accurately. If I am not, then I stand ready to be corrected.
Don't Pray for Peace
Julie’s post suggests that prayer is essentially a private action, one carried out in pursuit of “inner peace.” Prayer does not help generate solutions to political conflict, Julie posits; to the contrary, prayer offers “manna,” a sent-from-elsewhere miracle substance that convinces people—correctly or not—that their problems have been solved. Easing violent strife requires painful nuts-and-bolts negotiation, and an emphasis on prayer might well distract interested parties from that gruesome work. Prayer, like a drug, tempts belligerents to abandon the “excruciating compromise . . . that forces one group or another to let go or something they’re sure they need to survive.” Only excruciating compromise, and not grace, can propel one down the long, tortuous path toward peace.
I agree that prayer can distract from
nuts-and-bolts negotiation. Some people use prayer to escape from worldly
difficulties. But, I believe, to reduce prayer to escapism is to distort its
nature and shortchange its transformative effects. Prayer’s most powerful
effect is to connect us to the Source of All, to prompt us to surrender to the
magnificent force of love that is the one true reality. Such surrender humbles
us. It strips us of pride and ego and reveals to us the full humanness of the
other.
Because intergroup conflict is ego writ large, fostering
humility can only assuage intergroup conflict. Genuine prayer, as I understand
it, in no way breeds tribalism and its resulting intransigence; to the
contrary, heartfelt prayer enables us to recognize that we are one with our
opponent. Negotiation requires patient, open listening, which depends on humility—the
very sort of humility that comes from genuine prayer. Prayer should not be
equated with the self-satisfied, “Godly” ethnocentrism in which many Jews,
Muslims, and Christians wrap themselves. These “true believers” are but a
small—if especially visible—fragment of those who pray.
How might the prayer of Americans equip
belligerents in the Middle East to negotiate more openly and faithfully? Even
with their hearts melted and their spirits humbled, Americans remain at safe
distance from the Middle East conflict and so can easily afford its luxury. How exactly can our prayer impact them?
It can impact them in two ways, I believe. First,
if love could somehow come to inform the attitudes of the rest of the world,
then it would help pressure both sides of the conflict to cease hostility and
begin conversation. The world is a small, interconnected place. Parties to the
conflict cannot help but respond to outside pressure.
Prayer affects conflict in a more direct way. To
take seriously my assertions here, you the reader must engage my beliefs about
reality open-mindedly or share them already.
I believe that prayer—like meditation, lovingkindness,
and service work—opens channels to the divine and brings it more fully and
palpably into the lived experience of all humanity. Those who know the power of
prayer generally believe that it does far more than bring them personal, “inner
peace.” They know, quite literally, that the prayers of some people cause the divine
force to impact the circumstances of all
people. Prayer doesn’t humble only those who pray; prayer humbles humanity by
bringing ultimate reality—peace and love—to bear directly on the human
condition.
If one
believes in the transformative effects of prayer, then my assertions are
unnecessary; if one does not, then my assertions are worthless. To the skeptic,
my remarks may seem idealistic, foolish, or perhaps even dangerous. Belief in
such “magic,” the skeptic might say, can only lull us to sleep and divert us
from the real work of solving conflict. The skeptic is likely fated to see
prayer only as part of the problem rather than part of the solution. I would
respond, respectfully, that most of us who pray in no way see ourselves as
escaping from the world. Quite the opposite. Prayer’s utility, I suppose,
remains in the eye of the beholder.
5 comments:
The biggest leap that you make is to suggest that your view of the purpose and value of prayer is universally held.
What of those who pray for their diety to smite their enemies?
Likewise, humility and lovingkindness and all that other stuff that you attribute to those who pray is equally as prevalent in those who don't.
The notion of prayer as the thing to do stands in the way of the actual thing to do,which is to be a good and kind person. Don't be fooled.
Esther, I think Robert defined very clearly what he meant by prayer. One problem - and this is one that plagues all sorts of human attempts to communicate - is that several very different ideas may all use one word to indicate their meaning. Prayer was used here in a very specific and even personal way. As to prevalence of lovingkindness, or prosocial behavior of any form - I don't know if it can be stated with certainty how it's distributed across those who are religious or not, or (different idea) those who pray or not. In my reading, Julie's point - and it's one that Robert agrees with - and it's one that I believe you agree with - is that people must engage with each other candidly and with good will if we are to hope for peaceful resolution without dictatorship. That's not in conflict with any kind of reflection, spiritual or otherwise. It is thoughtful action - and the action, as you, and Julie, and Robert all agree, is important.
With apologies to any/all if I've misinterpreted,
Thanks for the compliments about Perfect Whole and for your engaging response.
I wish I were seeing more of the kind of prayer you describe here, the kind that empowers people toward greater acts of compassion and common sense.
Thanks for the thoughtful comments above. Esther, I certainly agree that "humility and lovingkindness and all that other stuff that [I] attribute to those who pray is equally as prevalent in those who don't." I don't suggest otherwise. My point was that prayer helps provide exactly those qualities, not that they aren't attainable through other methods.
I strongly disagree with your assertion that "the notion of prayer as the thing to do stands in the way of the actual thing to do, which is to be a good and kind person." Prayer is one of the things to do. It doesn't stand in the way--at least not for those of us who do it. If you think I'm being "fooled," then so be it.
I wonder how compassion can be generated. When every person in your family for as many generations as one can remember experience such horrible living circumstances, the idea that anything can penetrate seems far fetched to me. Maybe praying for an alien invasion might help but I doubt it. I could develop some insight into compassion due to my provided for upbringing. Not many folks are Gandhi or Mandela.
Prayer, mindfulness whatever you call it can be fine. I think not providing every nation with arms might be more effective. If we did that, I'd be happy to call that prayer too!
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