Today I’m grateful for a bit of peace in the midst of the storm.

11.4.2024

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Tonight I attended an Evening of Prayer for our Country at St. Raphael’s parish in Glendale. It was a beautiful night of taize music, quiet reflection, and the opportunity to just sit, breathe, pray, sing, and be still. There was no preaching, no campaigning, no talk of candidates. Just an evening of prayer.

As I sat in the dimly lit church, surrounded by candles and calmness, I was struck by how steadily and deeply I was breathing. It’s probably the slowest my breath has been all election season. The music united the participants in prayer, but also provided an ideal atmosphere for introspection and individual reflection. It was perfect, and when the night ended, I didn’t want to leave.

Of course I have opinions on various issues, candidates, and platforms. But my prayer tonight didn’t focus on any of that. My prayer tonight was for peace.

I prayed that the extreme division that exists between political parties be transformed into a collective pursuit of the common good, and I prayed that mankind’s intolerance for another’s opinion be transformed into mutual understanding and respect. I prayed for the name-calling and character-assassinations to stop. And I prayed that each day moving forward brings more good than evil, and more love than hate.

The world feels heavy right now. It’s stressful and messy and ugly and harsh. The political storm is surrounding us … on tv, on social media, along our streets, in our mailboxes, in our texts and emails. It’s exhausting. I think that’s why I needed tonight so badly. I needed a break, and an hour or two of peaceful prayer in the midst of the storm.