Upon hearing the news that Osama bin Laden had been killed by an American bullet, receiving texts, phone calls and emails from several people, then turning on the news to see people dancing on the streets in front of the White House and remembering the tragedy of 9/11, I was left reeling with emotions. So many emotions …
I knew justice had been served and I also knew I didn’t feel like celebrating. My overwhelming response is that we pray. Pray for peace. In fact, the next Sunday, we changed our closing song to, “Let There Be Peace on Earth – And Let it Begin with Me.” My colleague and friend, Rev. Durrell Watkins, pastor of Sunshine Cathedral MCC in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. summed up my feelings so well. Here is his response:
“The psalmist wrote, ‘With a complete hatred I do hate them. They have become to me real enemies’ (Ps. 139.22). I don’t think the psalmist is speaking as an ethicist, a behavioral scientist or even necessarily as a religious leader; rather, he is simply acknowledging, without judgment, how he is feeling in a particular moment. Some feelings simply show up for us and the first task in dealing with them is to acknowledge them. I think that is what the psalmist shows us.
“Of course, we aspire to be people of love, forgiveness, goodwill and compassion and yet we are complex beings with a wide range of emotions. Bin Laden orchestrated an act of terrorism in our country a decade ago that killed almost 3,000 and wounded and terrified countless more. He has been accused of being the architect of many other acts of violence. Regardless of what we believe about violence or vengeance, we are entitled to our initial flood of emotions and we need not be too harsh with ourselves for experiencing some sense of closure at hearing the news of his demise.
“Bin Laden may have been the face of organized terrorism in recent years, and we may feel relieved that his involvement in terrorism is now over, and we may have concerns that more violence could follow. But we should be very clear that bin Laden did not represent Islam. Bin Laden did not represent any nation or region. Whatever we feel about bin Laden, we must be very careful to not transfer those feelings onto any group of people or religion. We must never use our feelings toward bin Laden the individual to justify feelings of bigotry toward others.
“So, how should we pray? Pray with gratitude that no Americans were killed in the operation. Pray with gratitude that special care was taken to not harm civilians. Pray to bless those who operated courageously from the White House to the battlefield.
“Pray also for healing in the human family. Pray for violence to be reduced in our world. Pray for the Divine Presence to be made manifest in our midst: ‘Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ And pray as we do every Sunday, ‘May peace prevail on earth.’”
We each have the opportunity to bring peace to our world, starting with us, and then sharing that peace, one person at a time. In our response to what life brings us, especially if it is a negative event, strife-filled or fear-based, praying for peace can be a wonderful response.
Here are some prayers for peace from different world religions. I say “Amen” to all of them!
Baha’i prayer for peace
Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity.
Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech.
Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a home to the stranger.
Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring.
Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart,
And a fruit upon the tree of humility.
Sufi prayer for peace
O Almighty Sun, whose light clears away all clouds,
We take refuge in you. Guide of all people, God of all deities, Lord of all angels,
We pray you to dispel the mists of illusion from the hearts of the nations
And lift their lives by your all-sufficient power,
Your ever shining light, your everlasting life,
Your heavenly joy and your perfect peace.
Gandhi’s prayer for peace
I offer you peace.
I offer you love.
I offer you friendship.
I see your beauty.
I hear your need.
I feel your feelings.
My wisdom flows from the Highest Source.
I salute that Source in you.
Let us work together
For unity and love.
Prayer of St. Francis
Oh Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred – let me bring love
Where there is injury – pardon
Where there is doubt – faith
Where there is darkness – light
And where there is sadness – joy
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
Seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Rev. Dan Koeshall is the Senior Pastor at The Metropolitan Community Church (The Met) in San Diego, California, themetchurch.org.
