IN 1906 Ambrose Bierce, an American satirist, published The Cynic’s Word Book in which he poked fun at many of his country’s customs. “To pray”, he said, is “to ask that the laws of the universe be annulled on the behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy”.

Jamaica too has its share of cynics who decry the practice of praying. One of the most prominent and consistent of these is fellow newspaper columnist Mark Wignall. In a Sunday Observer August 9 piece he asked, “What purpose this sham of praying? Has it occurred to these leaders (who gather together to pray for the nation and its leaders) that they have been taking us down this path for so long that they no longer see how foolish they have become? Do they not know that we see the game, see the hustle, and recognise that it is all a substitute for the leadership which they lack?”

Admittedly, people have a bad habit of praying for things they desire but have no intention of working towards achieving. But the disbelieving comments about the church and prayer by Mark Wignall, which are replete in his writings, are way off mark (pun intended).

Cynics easily see the folly in other people’s actions, but are not as easily convinced of the foolishness of their own ways or thoughts. Maybe Mark and others who are similarly persuaded of the uselessness of prayer will listen to, if not heed, the words of former President George W Bush spoken at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in the US on February 7, 2002 shortly after the bombing of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre by terrorists.

“For half a century now, the National Prayer Breakfast has been a symbol of the vital place of faith in the life of our nation. You’ve reminded generations of leaders of a purpose and a power greater than their own. In times of calm, and in times of crisis, you have called us to prayer. In this time of testing of our nation, my family and I have been blessed by the prayers of countless Americans. We felt their sustaining power and we’re incredibly grateful.Tremendous challenges await this nation and there will be hardships ahead. Faith will not make our path easy, but it will give us strength for the journey.”

Jamaica is caught in a crisis of its own making. Any casual observer would see that the problems are more moral and spiritual than economic at the root, and conclude that Jamaica needs a moral and spiritual stimulus more than it needs an economic one. In a simple manner of speaking, that’s what prayer portends to do for the single petitioner or a whole nation: provide a stimulus (answer to prayers) that gets one past life’s seemingly impassable obstacles.

Speaking at this year’s Victoria Mutual Building Society-sponsored National Leadership Prayer Breakfast held at the Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, President of the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology Dr Lascelles Newman spoke forthrightly and courageously to some of the moral and spiritual ills which plague the nation. As if speaking to the cynics, he started in this manner. “What has been the message of the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast over these years? If we are to survive as a nation, then national unity and the integrity of the nation must take centre stage. It must be top priority in policy making, and governance. It must be top priority in our leadership behaviour. We must unite as a people or continue to haemorrhage the goodwill that is ours.

“Amidst all our divisions and our unrelenting tendency towards disunity, the very survival of our collective lives in Jamaica is at stake. For, as one of our more conscious entertainers puts it, “the whole a we a one blood”. Junior Reid says, ‘You could come from Rema or from Jungle, you could come from firehouse or from Tower hill, one blood; you could come from uptown or out a town, from Hannah Town or round town, one blood; you could be Bobo Dread or a Niyabinghi, one blood; too much fussing and fighting, and tribal war every day; too much bloodshed’. To that we say, Amen”.

The Observer newspaper must be commended for keeping prayers on its pages through contributor Celta Kirkland at a time when the spiralling cost of newsprint has caused other newspapers to cut back on their religious content. This newspaper, which I am proud to be associated with, has a reputation for editorially treating the church and people of all faiths with respect; giving to them a voice and protecting their right to express their views.

Back to the main theme: the essentialness of prayer in the life of a nation. There is a Biblical injunction (1 Timothy 2: 1-2 KJV) for us to pray for our leaders. “I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty”.This scripture is apropos to Jamaica in its present circumstance.

Instead of being pulled in the direction of a properly conceived, articulated and compelling vision, Jamaica is literally being chased (run down) by the self-inflicted demons of murder, corruption, exploitation, self-hate and the habit of talking too much and doing too little. The Bible metaphorically characterises the devil as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour (2 Peter 5:8). If the devil is a predator, that makes each of us and the country at large the prey. It’s time we stop running, turn around and resolutely confront the enemy.

Why continue to be a prey to the devil when we can pray to the Father?

hmorgan@cwjamaica.com