Turning Anger Into Prayer

Prayer is the proper resting place for all human emotion. I confess that I do experience emotionally charged reactions, especially when exposed to such arresting images as we saw from yesterday's terrorist attacks at the Boston Marathon. My emotional reaction is usually followed by deeper observation and intense discussion. When channeled appropriately, I begin to pray for God to show himself mighty in the midst of circumstances that will inevitably cause many to question his goodness or his existence altogether. Next, I prayer for the victims and their families. Correspondingly, I pray for the Church to respond well and be the obvious presence of Christ in the chaos and catastrophe. Finally, I pray for myself. I pray that my heart will remain tender and that damaging emotion may give way to constructive emotion that will make me even more sensitive to pain in the world, hurting people, and the activity of God all around me. Most often, the appropriate prayerful resting place sounds something like this. . .

"Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."