Pastor Joe Wright at the Kansas House of Representatives

My wife’s grandmother, GG, sent us an email chain (don’t ya just love those) about a prayer offered at the opening of a government session. Whenever I get email chains, I either delete them or research them and delete them, but make no mistake…I delete them. This was different; the claims in the email were such that I actually hoped it to be true. I researched the event and discovered the truth was even more impressive than the email.

Here’s a link for you, so you can familiarize yourself:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/outrage/wright.asp

One thing that struck me about the prayer was how all inclusive it is. Rightfully, there isn’t one people group that doesn’t fit into the prayer as having sinned and needing God’s grace. It’s a very convicting prayer, and I can see how it might evoke either humility (submission to God) or pride (rebellion against God…man’s original sin).

The other thing that struck me was the outrage against the prayer, calling it a “message of intolerance,” and an “extreme, radical” view held by “right wing extremists.” Are we supposed to tolerate anything and everything? If so, how does the liberal intolerance of the Christian value system figure into liberal “tolerance?” And what’s so extreme about not wanting a human child to be killed, wanting to protect and preserve our culture (not just Christian culture) and children from the obvious and unavoidable damage of pornography, or wanting to be free to engage in the religion that believes homosexuality is one of a countless number of sins committed by all human beings instead of being forced to practice the religion that believes homosexuality is moral because there is no such thing as sin?

This whole situation is a wonderful example of how our pride - assuming to know better than God what is right or fair or “good for us” - blinds us to the peace and grace that God offers equally to us all. And if you don’t think that’s the issue, explain how the vast, overwhelming majority of Americans believes and votes one way, but the law (elected alleged representatives and nine judges) sends us in a completely different direction.

This prayer was right on target except for maybe one thing; instead of asking God to “give us clear minds to accomplish our goals,” we should pray for Him to give us contrite hearts to submit to His will.