As a Deist, I find the notion of prayer to be an irrational exercise. But there are times when one finds comfort in reaching out to the Great Eternal Unknown.
It is sad fact of human existence that catastrophe is a hurdle we must leap to find meaning and substance. I've read several wildly varying estimates of the death toll in Burma, but I think we can all agree that the situation might be among the most dire in modern history.
The military junta that controls Burma has denied visas to American and U.N aid workers. I don't know if I'm just in a particularly emotional state this morning, but reading this sent me into a tirade. I'm sitting here in my empty classroom, in my mostly empty wing of the school, and I'm screaming my head off.
Let us all pause for a moment today, and with our collective sense of justice, let us recite a solemn prayer for these beleaguered people. If there is a God in this universe, no matter how distant and far removed he is from his creation, let us send a united plea that will mark his conscience--if he has one--to bring justice to these people, and to the tyrants in Beijing who support their oppressors.