Dear friends,
The shooting at former President Trump’s rally today was reprehensible. In its wake, “Civil War” and “Prayer” are trending together on Twitter.
So, how should followers of Jesus pray in a time of so much uncertainty, grief, and fear?
Why not pray the way that Jesus himself taught us from the beginning of his movement? Jesus offers us a seven-part spiritual practice.
I believe it’s exactly what we need to orient ourselves in crisis moments like this. Here’s a quick refresher:
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Our Father in heaven
When we pray with Jesus, we enter into the presence of our Father. And so, hate for the other must be surrendered. In our most basic identity, we are not enemies or aliens. We are siblings in God’s family. Praying with Jesus reminds us that we are we.
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Hallowed Be Your Name
When we pray with Jesus, we renounce a false familiarity with God. God is not our group’s mascot or political weapon. God is Holy, the great Mystery at the heart of all reality who stands above us and condemns our violence. Only humble speech is appropriate for those who reverently address God.
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Your Kingdom Come on Earth as It is in Heaven
When we pray with Jesus, we recenter these people in our hearts and public policy: the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the foreigner, the imprisoned, and the sick. Jesus said that theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And so their flourishing becomes our driving desire. Praying with Jesus prevents us from giving our loyalty to any human kingdom that discards or harms vulnerable people.
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Give Us Today Our Daily Bread
When we pray with Jesus, we remember that God wills for all of us to have our basic needs met. God doesn’t want any of us to go hungry or suffer unnecessarily. Praying with Jesus unlocks our empathy for one another and energizes our action for others to be well.
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Forgive Us as We Forgive Others
When we pray with Jesus, we depolarize ourselves and move closer to one another. We acknowledge our own failure, and extend forgiveness to others who have harmed us. We redirect our desire for revenge and channel it toward the healing of our relationships. Praying with Jesus interrupts the cycle of violence and slowly unhostages us for a new future.
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Don’t Lead Us into Temptation but Deliver Us from Evil
When we pray with Jesus, we face our temptation head-on to believe that violence can keep us safe. In doing so, we disavow this lie and learn to cry out with Jesus, “No more violence!” We premeditate nonviolence and trust that our Father will “deliver us from evil.” We have nothing to fear, no matter what may come.
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Yours Is the Kingdom, Power, and Glory Forever
Finally, when we pray with Jesus, we surrender our ultimate addictions: permanence, power, and prestige. We confess that we are not enemies in a zero-sum game seeking to dominate one another. We let go of these futile drives and find our significance, safety, and joy in being finite children of God. Praying “yours” is the path to our shared liberation that takes us home to our Father.
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Dear friends, I invite us to practice the prayer that Jesus taught us in this time of uncertainty, grief, and fear.
Yes, we rightly pray it with our mouths. But as we do so, let us it embody it in our everyday consciousness and choices.
This path leads us away from civil war and toward a place of mutual flourishing for all that’s forever safe with God. We have nothing to fear.
Yours with grief, trust, and hope,
Andrew
*** Adapted from Andrew DeCort, Flourishing on the Edge of Faith: Seven Practices for a New We (Washington, DC: BitterSweetBooks, 2022). Available at BitterSweetBooks, Amazon, Audible, and Kindle.
