SENTINEL WATCH August 23, 2004 Issue

Have you prayed for your government?

By Joni Overton–Jung

Things are heating up this election year in the United States. As I write, the Democratic National Convention is in full swing, and the situations in Iraq and Sudan continue to escalate. In the midst of upheaval and change, I've noticed that the political climate and, in particular, the upcoming election of the president, has been particularly contentious.

Last fall, around the time of the California recall election, I was asked to speak at a prayer breakfast at a city church, which was organized to respond to people's concerns about their local and state governments. The gathering included the mayor, a city councilor, several ministers of local churches, and interested citizens. After my talk, we spent more than an hour discussing how all of us could bring unity and change to our communities in a constructive and spiritually motivated way.

We also talked about the often-toxic stream of criticism specifically aimed at public officials. The mayor said that while she loved her job, she often wondered how the people she worked with every day are able to cope with all the distrust and anger directed toward them. The conversation brought into sharp focus for me the many times my own thoughts have been negative and cynical—often knee-jerk reactions to political issues—without my taking the time to pray and to examine more deeply how I might be able to contribute to solutions.