'Weaponized' Prayer: How to Disarm How We Talk to God (and each other...)

This week, the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives had a moment of history, as it swore in its first female African-American Muslim legislator, Movita  Johnson-Harrell (D) of Philadelphia. 

There are enough historic milestones there for that to be newsworthy alone. But as so often happens in America, it wasn’t a black person’s achievement that was the primary story, but a white person’s reaction to it.

Invited to give the ceremonial opening prayer was (according to her Facbook page) ‘very conservative’ Rep. Stephanie Borowicz (R) who stepped to the mic and prayed thus (Note: transcribed from a You Tube clip, this is as faithful a transcript as I could manage of the prayer, which was improvised on the spot, so my punctuation might be sketchy):

Let’s pray: Jesus, I thank you for this privilege, Lord, of letting me pray, God, that I, Jesus, am your ambassador here today, standing here representing you, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Great I Am, the one who’s coming back again, the one who came, died, and rose again on the third day, and I’m so privileged to stand here today, so thank you for this honour, Jesus, God, for those who came before us like George Washington at Valley Forge, and Abraham Lincoln who sought after you at Gettysburg, Jesus, and the Founding Fathers at Independence Hall, Jesus, that sought after you and fasted and prayed for this nation to be founded on your principles and your words and your truths.

God, forgive us. Jesus, we’ve lost sight of you. We’ve forgotten you, God, in our country, and we’re asking you to forgive us, Jesus, that your promise in your word says that ‘If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek your face and turn from their wicked ways’ that you’ll heal our land. Jesus you are our only hope. God, I pray for our leaders Speaker (Mike) Turzai, Leader Cutler, Governor Wolf, President Trump. Lord, thank you that he stands beside Israel unequivocally, Lord.

Thank you that, Jesus, that we’re blessed because we stand by Israel, and we ask for the peace of Jerusalem as your word says, God. We ask that we not be overcome by evil and that we overcome evil with good in this land once again. I claim all these things in the powerful, mighty name of Jesus, the one who at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, Jesus, that you are Lord.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Many have criticized the prayer, calling it offensive and divisive.  By the last line, there were loud grumblings from the assembled audience, and House Speaker Mike Turzai was gently touching Borowicz’ elbow, gently urging her to finish up. She then exited the chamber in protest of a Muslim being sworn in as a lawmaker.

Johnson-Harrell herself said she felt the prayer ‘blatantly represented the Islamophobia that exists among some leaders’. 

Borowicz defended herself by saying ‘That's how I pray every day. . . . I don't apologize ever for praying.’

That’s a bit of a dodge, as no one was criticizing her for praying; the criticism she faced had to do with what she prayed given the place and the occasion.

To be honest, I don’t doubt that that is the way she prays; I spent over half my life in the Evangelical Christian subculture and can confidently tell you that this is the way that many Evangelical Americans pray.

That said, it’s a problematic way to pray.  

This was an almost textbook example of a 'weaponized' prayer, a prayer meant to publicly advance a religious and political ideology, and addressed to Johnson-Harrell as much as to God.

By using a specifically modern Evangelical understanding of the Founding Fathers; by making the explicit implication that America had fallen from such a pristine Christian foundation; by framing the occasion as a moment of national failure and needing God’s forgiveness; and by implicitly stating that American unwavering political support for the state of Israel was a mark of national religious righteousness, all seemed designed to send the message- and certainly send it to Johnson-Harrell- that this was no celebration.

A Muslim might indeed be elected to sit in that chamber, but it would never be fully ‘hers’…

This was a Christian place, the prayer seemed designed to make clear. Christians created it, Christians owned it.

Plus, by naming God, the ‘Lord’, and Jesus nearly two dozen times in just under two minutes, Borowicz’ prayer almost seems to be an incantation, invoking the name of God as some form of talisman, a protection against the presence- and the religious faith- of a dangerous ‘other’.

Again, this was a Christian making it plain that her beliefs, understanding, and terminology for God were good, right, and correct.

This is nothing less than a supremacist position- ‘Christian supremacy’. Other faiths might be tolerated, but they will never be afforded equality. They must know their place and not presume to seek after white American Evangelical Christianity’s unique and privileged public position.

This is a form of Christianity that has never figured out how to live together well with any faith other than their own and (at a stretch) Judaism. They adhere to a zero-sum approach that sees ‘respect for’ as ‘surrender to’.

From my years living, working, and worshiping in the Evangelical Christian subculture, I’ve sat through hundreds of prayers like the one Borowicz gave. It was never pleasant. Prayer was designed to declare, to chide, to correct, and to advance agendas.

Prayers were often said for elected officials. Prayers for Republicans were filled with enthusiastic thanks given to God for their honour, wisdom, and courage; Democrats got earnest prayers for their salvation and hopes they’d abandon wickedness and turn to God.

Prayers for Evangelical leaders and organizations were full of thanks, blessing and hopes that they’d thrive and grow; prayers for Catholics focused on turning from dead religion to a living, vibrant faith.

Left-leaning Catholics like me always knew where we stood…

So I have two interrelated questions: First, how do we ‘decommission’ our weaponized prayers? And secondly, how do we live together well in a public space with our brothers and sisters who hold to different faiths?

Firstly, we can simply pray as Jesus in the biblical text told us to pray.

Jesus could be a fairly cryptic and opaque communicator; on any number of occasions, the Gospels describe people as being confused or offended by his teachings, if not just plain bewildered. It is for this reason that, when he gives a straightforward answer or, better still, a plain directive, it’s a good idea to take special notice… and on the subject of prayer, he does so.

When his disciples ask him to teach them to pray, he says ‘Pray then in this way’ (Matt. 6:9); ‘When you pray, say’ (Luke 11:2)…

The Lord’s Prayer, the ‘Our Father’, was what he gave us.

Praise to God, for his Kingdom to be established, food for today, forgiveness when we fall short, and strength for the journey.

That’s all. So little, yet everything…

If Jesus warned us, ‘do not practice your piety before others to be seen by them’ (Matt. 6:1), then the prayer he actually gave to his followers seems the perfect preventive.

But, I hear many argue- perhaps Borowicz herself?- how will God know what he needs to be doing, who he needs to be blessing, and who needs stopping if we don’t tell him so?

None of that is our concern.

How will others know our opinions of them and our agendas for them if we don’t cloak them in holy rhetoric? 

Speak for yourself… and let God speak for himself.

 Secondly, we can follow Jesus’ example in our approach to faiths other than our own.

Jesus lived his life and had his ministry in one of the most multicultural spots on Earth of that time- the eastern Mediterranean. A dizzying array of cultures, ethnicities, philosophies and religions- pagan, monotheist, polytheist, gnostic- jostled and interacted on a daily basis.

With that in mind, and with the inordinate amount of effort certain Christians take in trying to rein in, discredit, and marginalize other faiths, it’s interesting to notice that the Gospel writers felt no need to record Jesus giving an opinion or passing judgement on any other faith or philosophy.

We never find out his opinions on Zeus, Aries, Mithra, Plato, or Aristotle.

In fact, the only faith that he seems interested in critiquing is his own, arguing with the Pharisee movement, condemning Jewish legal scholars, and taking direct action against Temple practices.

If the biblical authors saw no need to record Jesus criticizing and condemning other faiths, then we can safely assume that there’s no real reason for us to do so either.

This would be seen as a huge sea change for many Christians. 

It takes extraordinary humility and radical faith to pray the Lord’s Prayer and nothing else, just as it would take great courage to simply live with and interact with good will toward non-Christian faith communities. 

What I see in Borowicz prayer is fear- of what she doesn’t understand, of what she thinks is dangerous, of what she sees as a slippery slope toward her own marginalization, her own loss of status, her own loss of power…

… and yet, the biblical text is filled with dozens of instructions to ‘fear not’. Trust God. Do what is right. Live at peace with your neighbours, regardless of their faith or lack of it.

Pray without ceasing…

As Jesus taught us.