Washington Comes Together To Pray
It is quite a rare thing in Washington D.C. to see people come together in a positive and uplifting way, but that’s exactly what happened Monday at the Lincoln Memorial. Over 250 churches and thousands of Christians came together for the Washington Prayer Gathering 2015.
I happened upon the event quite by accident as I was walking along the National Mall. I was about halfway between the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial when I heard what sounded like my dad on a Sunday morning. I sat down on a bench, pulled out my smartphone and started investigating what events were scheduled along the Mall for Columbus Day. It took a few minutes, but I finally found the Washington Prayer Gathering and decided to check it out.
Thousands of attendees and 250 churches who have a slightly different interpretation of the Bible and/or Christianity came together for an hour of prayer and worship. The goal: to pray for the Metro DC area, the nation, and to collaborate with one another on how best to meet the needs of those requiring assistance with day to day things like food. They put aside their slightly different points of view to work together in hopes of having a positive impact on the region. Don’t you wish Congress could do that?
The organizers set up several flags along the Reflecting Pool with the names of communities (Arlington, Stafford, etc) on them. This was done so that participants could gather around those flags to pray for their specific community. Pastors were encouraged to meet at a hospitality tent in order to get to know one another and discuss ideas on how their churches could work together in their communities. Musicians and singers were encouraged to visit another hospitality tent in order to sign up to play and sing at David’s Tent. Everyone was encouraged to keep the momentum going once the event was over, in hopes that a movement will begin.
The goal of turning this annual event into a bonafide movement is not unrealistic. Many tourists visiting our Nation’s Capital stopped to inquire, and then visited one of the hospitality tents to find out what they could do in their own communities. Some may have initially stopped just out of curiosity, but others stopped when they heard the music or one of the church leaders praying. Regardless of their reasons, many tourists participated after stumbling upon it by accident.
It is way too rare to see such a positive event in Washington. Too often I happen upon protestors screaming and getting in my face as I walk down the street. Rather than preach hellfire and damnation condemning others, the organizers put together an event that was uplifting, encouraging, and helpful to those in need.
Now, if we can only get Congress to come together in the same manner, this country might get back on track.
