You’ve probably heard about the prayer circulating around the globe, initiated by the Japanese author, Masaru Emoto. Whether you believe his assertion that water physically responds to emotion, the positive power of prayer has long been touted.
Unitarian Universalists may not, as a unified body, believe in prayer. Many feel that would require someone to pray to and don’t subscribe to that belief system. But there are also UU’s who believe in Divine entities, whether it be God, Goddess, Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Gaia, or mysterious, as well as in the forces of nature, and the power of positive thinking. (And that list is not exhaustive.)
The Unitarian Universalist principle, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part,” does steer us down the path of open mindedness and open heartedness. Is emotionality a possible quality for water to possess? Can the power of prayer make a difference?
Science is mystifying in myriad ways taken for granted. People get accustomed to the unbelievable. Who could have imagined talking into pieces of plastic and metal that aren’t connected to anything, yet hearing a person across the ocean? Or the magic of sliding thin, round disks into machines to view life or fluidly moving graphics, or to listen to music.
It is interesting to observe the unification of diverse faiths in their belief in the power of prayer. Religious traditions that have a history of fierce opposing ideologies.
The AP reports that governors in Louisiana and Texas have decreed Sunday to be a day of prayer for healing and coping with the Gulf crisis.
Likewise, Nicole Neroulias of Religion News Service, reported that attendees at the 30th annual Pagan Spirit Gathering in Missouri would also be engaged in healing prayers and seeking to support relief efforts.
For Unitarian Universalists, the principle, “The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all,” encourages us to embrace the beauty of this solidarity for the benefit of the environment and humanity. Halleluiah and Blessed Be!
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