Hey bloggers,
You may have already seen this on-line, or in a newspaper, but I thought I'd post it here, as well...
Faith and Civic Leaders Call
for Prayer for the Nation
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the eve of the election of the 44th President of the United States on Tuesday November 4th, it is appropriate and necessary that "we the people" of America take time to consider the core values and principles that should guide our nation in the next four years.
America is at a crossroads, and faces profound challenges at home and abroad. Our nation's strength - and ability to rise to challenges - lies in the principles that define its ideals, and the people who have endeavored to realize them.
On August 9, 2008, the Global Peace Festival USA launched a campaign to promote an American dream of building "one family under God." This vision underscores three core values that should guide our nation at this time:
1. The family is the "school of love and peace," the most vital social institution that must be honored and strengthened. The human family is bound together by its common spiritual heritage.
2. Universal principles are the basis for interfaith reconciliation and cooperation on a deeper level. Our nation's faith diversity is a great asset, making it possible for America to become a model of interfaith harmony.
3. Promoting a culture of service is the way to substantiate "one family under God." Service initiatives that are international, interreligious and interracial can provide transformative experiences to bridge differences and build mutual understanding.
Many of us are deeply concerned that the political process in our nation has become so partisan and polarizing. Although this election campaign has provided hopeful glimpses of the possibilities of unprecedented change, it has also exposed divisions that are yet to be bridged.
America's distinctive vision shines most clearly in the familiar words of the Declaration of Independence - that all men are created equal and endowed by the Creator with inalienable rights. Those words articulate the fundamental basis of human dignity and intrinsic rights, as well as the principles upon which "one nation" could be created "under God."
America became a pluralistic melting pot, representing how the world could live in harmony under a national vision rooted in our sense of covenant with God. When America has not fully lived up to its founding ideals, leaders have emerged as the conscience of the nation. Such was the case in 1963 when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called the nation to "live out the true meaning of its creed."
What is that "true meaning?" "One nation under God" expresses the essence of the true American vision rooted in our founding principles. In the 21st century we need to take this one step further into the greater, more universal ideal that all humanity is "one family under God." With such a universal vision, America could provide a model and leadership to inspire and unite the human family.
When the Constitutional Convention reached a standstill, Benjamin Franklin called for prayer, saying, "the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?"
When the nation was ripped apart by civil war, President Abraham Lincoln called for a national day of fasting and prayer. On D-Day as Allied troops landed in Normandy, President Franklin Roosevelt led the nation in an extraordinary prayer of his own composition.
As our nation makes important decisions, let us pause to reflect, meditate and pray. We urge all Americans to pray for our nation, especially from October 31 to November 2 (covering Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the respective Sabbath days for Muslims, Jews and Christians). Beyond deciding prayerfully, let us also resolve to transcend our differences and come together in support of our newly elected leadership to address the serious challenges before our nation and world.
There is much historical precedent for Americans to call upon God in times of great crisis or momentous change. At this time we are on the doorstep of both.
May God bless America.
Global Peace Festival USA Partners supporting this statement include:
Co-Chairs:
The Honorable Walter E. Fauntroy
The Honorable Matt Salmon
Bishop Jim Swilley
Pastor Debye Swilley
Mr. David Caprara
Partners:
The Honorable Steen Miles
Rev. Mark Abernathy
Rev. Paul Murray
Dr. Mohammad Alam
Ms. Helen Ngo
Matt & Adriana Anderson
Bishop Benoni Y. Ogwal-Abwang
Mr. Dawud Assad
Dr. Charles Phillips
Ambassador Theodore Britton
Ms. Martie Pineda
Dr. Haitham Bundakji
Mr. Victor Pinzon
Ms. Olga Crupper
Imam Mustafa Qazwini
Rev. Tanya Edwards
Rev. Dr. Addie S. Robb
Bishop Jesse Edwards
Ambassador Phillip Sanchez
Ms. Gerry Eitner
Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi
Rev. Darrell Elligan
Ms. Fannie Smith
Rev. Mark Farr
Rev. Andre Smith
Mr. James P Flynn
Mr. Gary Spanovich
Rev. Leo Franklin
Hon Richard St. Paul
Bishop Ernest Hamilton
Archbishop George A. Stallings Jr.
The Honorable Earl Hilliard
Ms. Mary Swopes
Dr. Abdul Hye
Mr. Asratie Teferra
The Honorable Donzella James
Mr. Lee Walker
Dr. Michael Jenkins
Mrs. Alexa Ward
Mr. Mohammad Khan
Rabbi Michael Weisser
Rev. Ki Hoon Kim
Mrs. Delece Williams
Dr. Simone A. Mason
Ambassador Sam Zakhem
