very thoughtfull well spoken words i feel compelled to echo them because eye think they are important....and add my personal point 2 illuminate,...christians should remember Jesuas actually fed the hungry multitude gathered before him ....before... he taught them to fish or in the same short period of time... he aslo like many other great speakers in the old and new testiment talked about ...peace beyond human comprehension... which if i remember rite is the gift of the spirit of God when heard, understood and expressed in and from the heart of us humans....my personal experience is that prayer at the actual time of indecion or worry may be the best time 4 it... abraham lincoln said that ...many times i have been driven 2 my knees by the overwelming conviction that i had no where else 2 go... this saying saved me in many a tough real life experience.. i did a painting called no where else to go which meant a lot to me as fa as i know it still hangs on the wall of a little african american primitive babtist church one of whos members i donated it 2 4 that purpoise. i will always own the visual right 2 the work but not the actual painting but more important i own the memory of being homess and abandonded and being a decent human being while enlarging my spiritual life and growing as a person and seeing the words of someone who lived before me and had left some directions or heartfelt truth. that iz what i try to bring to my work of love ...art..i was blugeonded by well meaning but incorrect idiots with thier "tough love" who sought to deepen my very real crosses to bear instead of mearly stepping out of the way or actually helpin me... tough love eye think is one of the most destructive false teachings of our era... what part of love is tough? tough goes with the word that starts with s and end with t and is a four letter discription of what someone in my opinion is full of if they think they know what is best 4 another human being in Gods world. that would be playing God and actually breaking one of the ten comammandment by worshipping oneself and following the wisdom and teaching of oneself instead of God. if someone does not what to actually help someone or feels it wouldnt be right 4 them.. let them tell the truth instead of 2 many times blaming the victum or the truely needy 4 the boarish and selfish or many time cruel tortuous behavior of someone who should be showing gratitude 4 what they have by giving part of it a way. a gift has no stringss, agift can be squandered by the recipiant without it reflecting on the giver... one who pretend 2 give while seeking to rule the life of another is hiring an emplyee for tr they expect something from thier investment or worse... they are purchasing a slave in the modern era by conquering the helpless and the needy instead of helping them stand 4 themselves... they are actually useing the weak and downtrodden 4 fuel for thier dim torches and to feed thier extravigant tastes instead of shining the lite like they pretend 2 or honestly think they are doing.. please check state ments 4 truth as eye am just a destitute artist and Iam inn know weigh a sym-bowl ov suck-cess...

I am so delighted to read Tim Shriver's comments about the power of prayer as a centering practice and its relationship to service. As someone who has practiced vipassana or mindfulness meditation for years, I feel that inner transformation is often a necessary pre-requisite for external or social transformation. I feel the more we are aware of our own inner light, our struggles, and our vulnerabilities, the more we will be aware of and compassionate towards the inner light and struggles of others. At least this has consistently been my own experience.

The Zen monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, revered Dr Martin Luther King. He saw Dr. King as a man who radiated holiness and sacredness in his very presence. I think Dr. King's awareness of the sacredness of life pervaded all of his work and he is a spiritual guide for me.

P.S. I especially appreciated your comments, Tim, since I an old classmate of yours from the MA in Religious Studies (spirituality concentration) program at CUA!

Robin Majeski

"...someday, divisions of race and religion and nation can be overcome. That’s the kind of service that Dr. King invited."
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Mr. Shriver: we'll never achieve an undivided nation unless we respect all religions- even Buddhists, agnostics, atheists, humanists, and the other people you ignore. To suggest that one can't truly understand and emulate Dr. King unless one shares your religious Theism is simply bigoted nonsense.

"...someday, divisions of race and religion and nation can be overcome. That’s the kind of service that Dr. King invited."
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Mr. Shriver: we'll never achieve an undivided nation unless we respect all religions- even Buddhists, agnostics, atheists, humanist, and the other people you ignore. To suggest that one can't truly understand and emulate Dr. King unless one shares your religious Theism is simply bigoted nonsense.

Prayer gives hope, and hope sustains our service when the world kills our dreams. Thank you so much for this reflection.

This is a truly beautiful reflection on the power and meaning of prayer.

This is a truly beautiful meditation on the power and meaning of prayer.

This is a truly beautiful meditation on the power and meaning of prayer.

Oops, there I go again, neglecting to include my name. I'm the "Anonymous" whose comment appeared on January 22 at 6:27 AM.

By all means. Whatever you do, do what makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. You might even find that feeling warm and fuzzy inside is much more important that all those time and money-consuming acts like actually ladling out food in a soup kitchen or canvassing for candidates committed to improving the lot of the less fortunate. Then it's a short hop to knowing that what God and Jesus are all about is the salvation of your eternal soul. Good deeds in this mortal world mean nothing. Believing in Christ as your Lord and savior will guarantee your admittance to heaven. So pray, brothers and sisters, pray.

By the way, does lighting candles to the Virgin Mary work equally as well as prayer? Or fingering a rosary?

I will always remember Rosh Hashanah 2001. Belief in Fraud is the primary fallacy from which all other fallacies are derived. For LBJ so loved the N-word, he sacrificed the blood of millions of gookish, slopish, slantish peoples for as to give cover for Israel to sneak into Jerusalem, like a thief in the night.

Very profound insight, Tim. I'm impressed with your mature observations. They must have been bestowed upon you by the Holy Spirit, as there are far too many folks who have not been so enlightened.
I had the pleasure of having you in my homeroom and math class...but for only two days. It was 6th grade at Mater Dei School in Bethesda. Another teacher made a rude remark about your haircut (which wasn't acceptable in the conservative mainstream at the time). You were embarrassed, and I was ashamed for his behavior.
I also taught your brother Anthony tennis for a time.
I hope your family is happy and well. I have retired to Sun City Hilton Head, SC...where I spend my time playing tennis, softball, billiards, ride bikes, acting and singing in plays. It is an adult camp here...and the weather is wonderful. Take care. Are you involved in politics at this time? Bill Smith

Thank you for this message, which was so very effectively stated. Indeed, we haven't heard enough about the healing power of prayer this past weekend. Sometimes it seems that we need a reminder that Dr. King was in fact a minister whose walk took him to the front lines of social equality and justice in America.

Mr. Shriver:

Thank you. Thank you for personal and poignant reminder of the timelessness of Dr. King and the source of his eloquence.

Jeff

Just beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Thank you for reminding me to be quiet and listen for the still small voice within.

i totally agree with your assesement about prayer
that brings peace to your life. i am and elective official in detroit michigan i was inspire by your uncles about the call to serve. i think personally people shouldnt be in public services if they want personal gratification. if they want to be apart of the solution then they should feel public services is the way to go.

Isn't there ANYONE else in this nation qualified to say anything other than someone from the Kennedy, Bush or Clinton clans?

Can we get AWAY from this whole stupid 'dynasty' thing and let others have a say. There's ONLY 300,000,000 of us out here....

Maybe we should let France run our country, they do a much better job at everything, and have no royalty or political dynasty families.

NO MORE DYNASTIES!

What a beautiful tribute and call this is. I thank you deeply for publishing Mr. Shriver's essay -- the best I have seen today to mark this holiday and to invite us to live in an engaged, vibrant way.

I'm not praying. Prayer didn't make nonviolence work. Guts did.

Action Speaks Louder than Words...
especially if those words are silent prayer. Prayer? It might provide some psychological lift for the one doing the praying. If it does some good, like meditation, for the individual doing the praying, then so be it. Perhaps, it will even effect the individual enough to make them someone that we all can appreciate.
Indeed however, it takes real actions to assist the lives of others or to make lasting impressions on the world we inhabit. Service is for other. Prayer/meditation is for self.
Sincerely,
P. Habib

Action Speaks Louder than Words...
especially if those words are silent prayer. Prayer? It might provide some psychological lift for the one doing the praying. If it does some good, like meditation, for the individual doing the praying, then so be it. Perhaps, it will even effect the individual enough to make them someone that we all can appreciate.
Indeed however, it takes real actions to assist the lives of others or to make lasting impressions on the world we inhabit. Service is for other. Prayer/meditation is for self.
Sincerely,
P. Habib

Awesome article on MLK named "MLK and the Establishment's Dream" on the blogzine Savage Politics. You can get it at www.SAVAGEPOLITICS.com

Dear Mr Shriver

Your essay moved me to tears, especially knowing the kind of service you offer to humanity. I wish you great success in whatever you do.

I thank God for souls like Dr King, whose message transcends national borders.

I wish to bring to your notice a very special monk who lived a simple life and served humanity in his own quiet way, a visionary for our times: Dom Bede Griffiths ( http://www.bedegriffiths.com )

Soja John Thaikattil
Sydney, Australia