Thu | Mar 28, 2024

Of prayer and gunmen

Published:Thursday | August 9, 2018 | 12:00 AM

THE EDITOR, Sir:

Like Mark Wignall ('Al Miller, please stop your nonsense', Gleaner, August 9, 2018), I, too, am very curious about the effects of prayer.

Recently, I spoke to my friend who, in her late 80s, was about to go to an all-night prayer meeting.

I. I was impressed that at her age, she could still do that.

2. But I was anxiously hoping that it was not 'elderly abuse' being inflicted on her by the church leadership.

3. But, leaving 1 and 2 aside, I asked her why it would take all night for God to hear your prayer. Surely, God is supposed to know what you want even before you pray, I continued.

She was not amused by my line of questioning.

Prayer is a psychological crutch. So, specifically, can prayer turn the Jamaican gunmen's weapons into ploughshares and pruning hooks; and other useful agricultural implements, and cause them to become productive farmers? I don't think so.

GEORGE GARWOOD