This blog is never about judgment (judging others or Judgment Day), but I did want to take a moment to share another observation: this one involves prayer. It doesn’t affect my assessment of the individual whether a person believes in god or not. For those who do, it brings comfort, answers, faith and solace. For those who are less inclined, they manage to find satisfaction for these needs in other ways – equally real and valid.
My creed is well-known among my family and friends, and yet what I have witnessed is that many of the folks who do not share my belief, have showered me with prayer vigils, misheberachs, Mass cards and words of divine inspiration. Everyone just wants to help (cook meals, give rides, pick-up dry cleaning – whatever will make a difference), and in the case of some, offering the power of their prayers and the tangential strength of their beliefs (even to the un-indoctrinated), is the biggest gift of help (love) that they have to offer.
Even if we openly (and cordially) differ on our definition of divinity, the power of their gesture is undeniable and the “offering” of THEIR ultimate strength to me is genuine and deeply appreciated.
