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| Monroe News Photo/Tom Hawley (Thank you Tom) |
On Monday evening it was my privilege to lead a prayer vigil for Chelsea Bruck and her family at Loranger Square in downtown Monroe ("Family, Friends Turn to Prayer to Find Chelsea Bruck"). Linda and I know Chelsea's mom and some of Chelsea's friends. Our hearts are aching about her disappearance. I can't imagine the pain I would be experiencing were this my daughter. I, and many others, are praying for Chelsea to be safely returned to us.
Chelsea's mom works for Monroe Bank & Trust. The family and the bank wanted the prayer vigil. So on Monday a couple hundred of us gathered and prayed. I have not stopped praying. I've been praying for Chelsea and her family this morning, and countless people have.
Do my prayers, and our prayers, make a difference? Of course. I would not pray if I felt praying lacked causal efficacy. I am neither a deist nor an atheist nor an agnostic about this. Were I one of these I would not pray. But my worldview is Christian theism. I accepted this many years ago. To embrace a worldview means embracing the propositional truths contained therein, some of which are: God exists, God loves and cares for us, God works all things together for good, and I am invited to communicate with God about anything. To not pray would be a sign of unbelief, which I do not have.
I have too many years of praying and seeing the difference it makes to stop now. God, bring Chelsea back to her family and our community, safe and well. Amen.
