PODCAST
Epanding Witness
August 5th, 2011
RG AUDIO 080511I Kings 8:22-40
Solomon’s prayer in I Kings chapter 8 is that God would respond to the foreigner’s prayer and through this experience, “all the peoples of the earth may know [God’s] name” (v. 43).
We, too, can expand our witness of faith and love with the practice of a prayer like Solomon’s. This prayer moves away from our own interests and our displays of “wisdom” regarding how God should work in the lives of others. Instead we ask for God to hear the pleas of those who are outside the Christian faith.
There is a rich tradition among churches where after congregation members have offered their prayers the whole community responds, “Lord, have mercy.” What might happen if we broadened this practice to include those outside the church? What if we made it our prayer as we share life in our community, drive by others in our car, share seats in a subway or a bus, to pray, “Lord have Mercy”?
