But there are clearly things which emerge from greater depth. More importantly, there are things which must emerge from greater depth in order to happen. These include the indescribably beautiful transformations and reunitings of individuals and families. They include the great bloomings, the great healings, the great justice-makings of people and cities, of societies and nations. In fact, it tells us that all will eventually be redeemed by the power of God's holy spirit, but that the redemption of all involves the entire expanse of history.
Prayer is a part of that preparation.
Prayer is the spiritual soil of hope which comes to us from the future. It is the invisible capital investment necessary for visible human transformation. Here in Richmond, there is a growing effort to pray consciously for the transformation of the metropolitan city, insofar as the structures of our original evil are concerned. One name for the original evil is racism. Racism is a way of disregarding others because of their racial and cultural difference, which then guarantees its destructive fruits through distorted political, economic, and social structures.