Praying the News

A few days ago, a friend and I were having dinner together, sharing dreams, perceptions, intuitions about "these days." We have each had some sense of the need for God's grace to further penetrate the gloom of dismal days when hatred seems to lurk ready to pounce or seduce. We agreed that we would find some way or practice that we would undertake for a period of about a month, offering it as an opening for God to use in some way to further grace this world.

The day after our dinner, I left to attend a retreat devoted to group spiritual direction and a time of silence. The last talk before silence began was about practices we might consider during the time of silence. "Praying the news" was one of the suggestions. Immediately I recognized this as the practice I want to offer to God for use in somehow expanding the flow of grace at this time for the benefit of the world.

This is a very different thing for me, because I do not usually read the news or watch television news at all. My information comes from my husband, who is very well read, and from the occasional news report from NPR as I'm driving from one place to another. I have found listening to or watching news programs to be very painful. I am often filled with sadness, distress, disgust and anger, as I take in the tragic, nasty, mean-spirited, greedy or murderous actions of my brother and sister human beings. So, I am committed to keeping up with the news to some degree from now until around November 1st. And, I will be praying the news on this blog.

Today's prayer is for the people of Iran. The Minneapolis Star Tribune had a large article on the G20 meeting and the problems posed by discovery of another nuclear reactor almost completed by Iran. The fear among many nations is that such a reactor will be the source for nuclear weapons, which Iran is said to be determined to develop. I also pray that the leaders of all the countries involved will be filled with wisdom and truth as they sort out what to do about this situation. Further, I pray for our president, President Obama, who has declared that one of his goals is to reduce the world's nuclear arsenals, including that of the United States.