Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-02
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
Slow Me Down, Lord
"SloW me down, Lord" is
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain Of the United States Senate

a modern prayer. It Is being
offered in all parts Of the Ma
ton including luncheon clubs
where are gathered the
"doers" in American enter
prise. Such a prayer, espe-
cially upon the lips Of men
whose business and profess
sional activity suggest per-
petual motion. is q heartening
sign Of the times. The petit
tons. which follow the desire
to be slowed down, express a
yearning for apprehensions
which come only to those who
stop and listen.
The mood mirrored in the
"slow me down" prayer is
being put into practice In
hundreds of so-called Week.
ly Prayer Groups in all parts
Of the Nation. It Is an amaz-
ing phenomenon that busy
men in scores Of cities are
deliberately stepping out Of
the ceaseless whirl which is
their daily world, to meet
with like-minded companions
seeking to open windows Of
spiritual vision from which
can be sensed and glimpsed
the hills Of ultimate values.
Certainly the whole Nation
ought to know. and by that
knowledge be treasured. that
even amid the terrific ten
sions that make their home
under the white dome of the
Capitol in these decisive days.
in both sides Of Congress,
large groups of genuinely
Christian statesmen meet
weekly at $3.50 before the leg
islative day begins. to talk
to each other, and to the
Father God who hath made
and preserved us q Nation,
about the spiritual verities
which give meaning to the
holy cause Of democracy
and to life itself. In these cir
cles Of meditation all party
attitudes and shibbolethS are
parked at the door. The eager
purpose Of these increasing
groups, in which gather rep
resentative Americans from
all walks, is of tremendous
significance. The spirit is one
of contrition, Of humility and
Of listening for divine guild
ance.
These groups in them
selves are an indication Of
Americas coming Of age.
Many of the so-called char
acteristics Of American life,'
so distorted in years past
by foreign critics, were but
growing pains. In winning
q continent, and in building
the most amazing social
structure the world has
known-which is now the
rainbow Of hope for our
threatened planet - certain
unlovely, boastful attitudes,
human nature being what it
is, we're inevitable. But the
new republic showed its in
nate greatness in laughing
without bitterness at the jibes
cast in her direction. Always
America has had q refresh
ing faculty for self-criticism.
This was true even in the
period when, in our expand
ing progress, astonishing the
world, visitors from abroad
likened Uncle Sam to Little
Jack Horner who plunged
his egotistical thumb into
the succulent pie and pull
ing out a plum, with an in
f1ated sense Of his own vir-
tues, announced to all and
sundry. "See what q good
boy am l." During that stage
Of our growing up a visitor
from abroad, judging with
eyes in which were perhaps
the green light Of jealousy,
declared in reporting his trip
that it was dificult to get q
good picture Of America be-
cause the halos blocked the
cameras lens.
AS this republic was being
nodded and q multitude Of
things were being hammered
into shape on the anvils Of
her boundless will to triumph,
the temptation was to put