As a former member of Congress representing Dayton Ohio, I had the honor of leading the legislative effort to create a National Day of Prayer for America, legislation that was signed by President Ronal Reagan in 1988. Celebrated on the first Thursday in May, it has grown to 72,000 volunteers and prayers at 350,000 sites around the world.
In the last year, I have been working with leaders in Ukraine on creating a National Day of Prayer for their struggling nation. I have visited there twice this year (not an easy trip!) and met with the Speaker and many members of the parliament, along with various faith leaders. The parliament has just drafted a Day of Prayer bill and wants to pass it soon!
I deeply believe in the value and power of prayer, the need for people to humble themselves before God. There’s something wonderful about the unity of people praying together. There’s a peace and grace you can feel even if it’s hard to explain. It’s a power that can sustain through the difficult times.
War changes a person. Living though the violence, cruelty and uncertainty of brutal conflict leaves scars that last a lifetime. It’s easy to see how a survivor can end up angry, cold and vindictive, wanting revenge on those who caused the suffering and on the world that allowed it to happen.
Sometimes a person emerges with a totally different perspective. They emerge from the terror with a desire to see that no one else endures what they had to, aspiring to be an instrument for peace and an architect of a kinder world. Why do some people come out of this suffering seeking vengeance while others seek peace? I believe that prayer can help instill a love and hope that helps a person emerge with a hunger for peace, a thirst to create a world where no one else suffers as they did. I have personally seen famine, brutality and suffering around the world. In my experience, prayer is the one thing that can help a person survive the toughest times and emerge with their humanity in place. I believe prayer can help Ukraine as well as our nation and is especially important in this holiday season.
It starts with believing, loving God, emptying ourselves of ourselves and caring for others. When we do this, I believe God answers our prayers.
I won’t pretend to have the answers but I believe God does. The New Year is the perfect time for each of us to humble ourselves and turn to God for the answers we seek.
Tony Hall is a former member of congress from Dayton and is the founder of the Hall Hunger Initiative, a Miami Valley food justice organization - www.hallhungerinitiative.org
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