No small thing: A time of prayer

By Rev. Z. M. D. McGregorOn January 20, our nation witnessed an extraordinary confluence of history and symbolism. The inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 47th president of the United States coincides with our national holiday honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These two figures are as strikingly different as the occasions that celebrate them. And yet, this difference extends beyond the towering figure of a martyred Christian preacher, and a successful business mogul turned politician. This day calls us to think carefully about our next steps. The times call for prayer.We live in an age of political uncertainty and social upheaval, an epoch where the clamor of division often drowns out the call to unity. In such a time, it might seem strange, quaint—even radical—to suggest it, but we must pray for those in authority. But I would argue that it is one of the most profoundly necessary practices for a healthy democracy.First, let us dispense with the misconception that prayer is passive or weak. To pray for those in power is not to excuse their faults or abdicate our responsibility to hold them accountable. It is to acknowledge the staggering weight of their responsibilities, to...