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Prayer for hostages
Originally appeared on spirituality.com
Whenever people are taken hostage, our hearts go out to them and to their families no matter where they are or who they are. Prayer reaches beyond nationalities and distances to encompass all people and all nations.
As I’ve thought about hostage situations, my prayers have centered mainly on three different levels. The first is the very human level where the heart reaches out to give comfort and support. At such moments, a hymn from the Christian Science Hymnal like “O tender, loving Shepherd” might come to thought. The first verse of this hymn ends this way: “… We know that Love will guide us, / And safely lead us home” (Frederic W. Root, No. 245). Divine Love is able to lead all parties involved in such situations—not just the individuals who have been kidnapped but also the people who have initiated the capture. Each can be led safely home, that is, to a more spiritual understanding of his or her relation to God and to others.
This relationship—each one’s relation to God—is fixed in divine reality. Even a glimpse of that fact can touch each one involved. It purifies motives and affects one’s acts. The Apostle Paul writes, “The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” This profound realization has the power to change the situation completely, and keep all safe. It can break down the negative sense that only violence can occur or that things are hopeless and out of control.
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