A prayer offering at war's end in Iraq
Among Iraqis, the United States exit has been met largely with ambivalence. Weary of war, most are pleased that full sovereignty is now back in the hands of the country, but cynical about the effectiveness of the Iraqi government. Khalid al-Asadi, a member of the ruling Dawa party, noted that “there is still soil for political conflict, and still not much common ground. This brings concern for the people . . . that political conflict could take Iraq back to Square 1, and to sectarian conflict” (see “Iraq after the US: Will it survive?” The Christian Science Monitor, December 10, 2011). The pervading fear is that the American exit creates a power vacuum which will allow bubbling sectarian tensions to boil over—or an unpredictable Iran to come to the fore.
Each of us can do much more than simply hope for an absence of violence in Iraq as the country assumes full responsibility for its own governance and security. Here’s where our humble prayers can make a real difference. Prayer dissolves fear and leads to lasting solutions. It replaces a scenario in which a power vacuum appears to be in danger of developing with the real picture: that God’s authority is in place, maintaining the safety and integrity of each of His ideas. In other words, stability, peace, and progress aren’t naive hopes—they’re present, active spiritual qualities, the outcome of the love of an all-powerful God. We can insist that the presence of God, divine Love, is felt by each individual the world over, casting out the fear and hatred that would try to give purpose to acts of terror.
Stability, peace, and progress aren't naive hopes–they're spiritual qualities, the outcome of an all-powerful God.
My prayer for Iraq is one based on the brotherhood of man. A well-loved passage in the Bible prophesies in part, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4). Here Isaiah—himself no stranger to war and conflict in what is today the Middle East—captures the very essence of our opportunity. In a post-war Iraq, don’t we all want to see swords turned into plowshares—weapons replaced by progress, and peace? Don’t we want to see tensions between Sunnis and Shias replaced by brotherhood and cooperation? Isaiah’s prophecy provides a baseline for prayer as we individually and collectively replace fear of an uncertain future for Iraq with the calm assurance that God’s voice speaks to Iraqi leadership, citizens, and even exiting US troops. Let’s insist in prayer that violence, bloodshed, and hatred are never condoned by God, and never have spiritual legitimacy or a place in His creation.
It’s also important to recognize that prayer doesn’t take place in an abstract or fanciful realm—its effects can be seen here and now, leading to concrete solutions. As more of God’s care for His creation becomes apparent, we can expect to see a decline in violence and fear, a stronger civil society, a more open, honest government, and the establishment of a more stable Iraq.
Mary Baker Eddy wrote in Science and Health about the unifying power of God, Spirit: “One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself;’ annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry,—whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; . . .” (p. 340). That one unifying God is—and always has been—at the helm in Iraq and all over the world. As we understand this more clearly, we can’t help but join in prayer about Iraq’s progress, replacing fear with the firm conviction of God’s constant, uplifting guidance. This kind of prayer brings about real stability.
