We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end war;
For we know that You have made the world in a way
So that all of us must find our own path to peace,
Within ourselves and with our neighbors.
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end hunger;
For you have already given us the resources
With which to feed the entire world,
If we would only use them wisely.
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to root out our prejudice;
For You have already given us eyes
With which to see the good in all people,
If we would only use them rightly.
We cannot merely pray to you, O God, to end despair;
For You have already given us the power
To clear away slums and to give hope,
If we would only use our power justly.
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end disease;
For You have already given us great minds
With which to search out cures and healing,
If we could only use them constructively.
Therefore, we pray to You instead, O God,
For strength, determination, and courage,
To do instead of just to pray,
To become instead of merely to wish.
I was deeply moved by this prayer recently. Would you like to know what sort of place of worship I was in when I heard it? Are you wondering precisely which God is being prayed to? Would you care to interrogate those who offer this prayer, to disabuse them of their superstitions or to set them on the correct path to the one true God?
The world is crying out for an end to hunger, prejudice, despair, and disease. I know of no "god", religious or secular who has achieved these goals mystically from on high. I join my voice with any who are seeking strength, courage, and determination in applying their energy to relieve human suffering. I do not question their source of inspiration; rather, I receive inspiration from their devotion.