The Power of Prayer

Hello, friends.

How often have you heard someone say, "I'll pray for you"? Maybe you were sick, or having a hard time, or had recently lost a loved one, and someone said, "I'll pray for you." One of the best Christmas movies ever made, It's a Wonderful Life, starts with a lot of people praying for the main character, who is going through a personal crisis. Now, in that movie a literal angel is sent down from above to help him. But what about in real life? Does anything really come of it?

There are definitely people who believe in the so-called "power of prayer"--that by praying to the Divine (or a saint, or another religious figure), something changes that can help the person improve. I figure it's at the very least like sending out good energy into the universe--it lets someone know they're in my thoughts, that I want to help if possible, and just sends more positive vibes out into the world. This is generally my goal, and goodness knows we need more good energy out there.

Now, I've heard the phrase "I'll pray for you" uttered a number of times--and I've said it myself to people, though I am careful to whom I say it. Why? And how is this an interfaith issue?

Well, perhaps we can say in some way it is a minor interfaith issue. My hope would be that anyone--whether religious, secular, atheist, agnostic, spiritual, or something else--would accept the phrase for what it means (I interpret it as, "I care about you and want you to get to a better physical/mental place"), and not be offended. That said, I do try to think about the recipient of the sentiment when I give it. Sometimes I might say, "I'll send positive thoughts your way" to one of my less religious friends, for example. But hopefully no one would ever be offended by a well-intentioned phrase.

We can easily compare this to the "Merry Christmas" issue that came up a few years back, an issue that is ongoing. For those who are not aware, there was an issue some years back in the U.S. in which around the December holidays, people in stores were wishing customers a, "Merry Christmas," and some folks who were not Christian and so did not celebrate the holiday were offended by this.

My take on the Christmas topic has always been nuanced--I am not going to be annoyed by anyone wishing me well; we need more positivity in the world. So if you want to wish me, a Jewish woman, a "Merry Christmas" (or Ramadan mubarak, or Happy Kwanzaa, or whatever), please do so, and do so loudly and with a big smile (I dig enthusiasm).

However, on the other hand, as someone who is conscious and respectful of the diversity in the world, unless I saw a pretty clear indication of someone's faith practice (a yamulke, for example), I would usually choose a more generic phrase when speaking to a stranger around a holiday time. Not to minimize anything about my holiday or theirs, but because I want to try to create a world in which more people feel accepted and acknowledged for being who they are, without a repeated reminder that they may be in the minority where they live.

What do you think? Should we keep it generic to make more people feel included? Or should we not modify our religious inclinations to suit others?

I write this post because these past months have been challenging ones in a lot of ways, for myself and some of my closest friends, many dealing with either life challenges, health issues, or mental health issues (or some combination of these). So I've heard or said the phrase, "I'll pray for you" a few extra times in my life recently, and I wanted to share the sentiment with all of you.

So I ask, if you're willing--please pray for me, I'll pray for you.

Now go out and love one another.

<3,
Allyson