If you missed it live, you can watch Rick Warren’s prayer at President Obama’s inauguration here.
As with any prayer at a civic function, I got a bit nervous towards the end. Is he going to pray in Jesus’ name? Will he be polarizing or compromising?
I think he resolved it brilliantly.
He personalized it — “and so I pray in the name of the one who changed my life” — in a way you knew he didn’t presume to speak for you.
But then he universalized the name, by speaking the name of Jesus in a number of different tongues: Yeshua (Hebrew), Isa (Arabic), Jesus (pronounced as they say it in Spanish), and then, finally, the English translation, Jesus (with a hard “j”).
It made me think of the mural in our lobby which has the phrase “Jesus Is Lord” in many of the languages spoken on our planet:
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What comforting closing compared to the closing of Rev. Lowery’s benediction …
“Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around … when yellow will be mellow … when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.”
I agree with you Talbot. Warren’s prayer was brilliant yet left no question as to his belief. Even though I disagree with many of Obama’s political views, what a historic day! –Ben S.