I received this chain letter requesting prayers for our troops at work and I want to document it and offer support to others who may experience similar issues.
I've seen most of these photos but they're so powerful and the prayer is so poignant...
I'm not breaking this one. If I get it a 1000 times, I'll forward it a 1000 times! Let us pray...
[Next were a dozen poignant pictures of soldiers praying, flag draped coffins, a soldier holding a dead child, makeshift memorials, etc.]
Prayer chain for our Military... Don't break it! Please send this on after a short prayer. Prayer for our soldiers Don't break it!
Prayer: "Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen."
Prayer Request: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world.
There is nothing attached. Just send this to people in your address book. Do not let it stop with you. Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.
GOD BLESS YOU FOR PASSING IT ON!
Join me after the jump for my response...
So, while I agree with the sentiment expressed here, "Pray for our troops safety," as an atheist and member of the reality based community, I couldn't help sending a reply to everyone whose email address appeared in this chain. We're in central California, so I gathered some basic info on our reps and fired this one out.
Subject: Do something that may actually work. Contact your reps.
Hi all,
I do not mean to offend anyone, but calls to your senators and congressman are much more likely to be effective than prayer.
Call my senator? But that sounds like it might get me in trouble.
Wrong. It's really easy. It only takes a few minutes and a few cents and the actually WANT to hear from you. Below are links to the contact pages and phone numbers for our representatives in congress.
Senator Diane Feinstein: http://feinstein.senate.gov/...
Phone: Phone: (202) 224-3841
Senator Barbara Boxer: http://boxer.senate.gov/...
Phone: (202) 224-3553
Representative Jerry McNerny: http://mcnerney.house.gov/...
Phone:(209) 476-8552
I promise you, nothing makes you feel more like a true member of our democracy than calling your reps and giving them a piece of your mind.
Peace and progress,
[Socrates]
So far no backlash, though one person did ask me more about contacting senators and I described a typical call to her. In the time that I have worked at my present job, I have managed to register several democratic voters and get them and their families out to the polls for several elections, with no more effort than this little email and some polite conversations.
I know it's not much, but it's better than just giving up. And it's better than prayer.
_\m/