January 22, 2009

Pleasing traditionalists and confounding strict separationists, Americans tend to begin their important civic functions with a religious invocation. For his inauguration on Tuesday, President Obama chose megachurch superstar Rick Warren to give the official benediction. The gesture angered those who felt the incoming president had given center stage to a very vocal opponent of gay rights, especially the right to marry. Others considered it a stroke of political acumen, making good on Obama’s promise to reach across the red-blue divide.

For his part, Warren succeeded in maintaining the dignity of the event and honoring America’s diverse faith traditions while remaining true to his own beliefs. It was gratifying to hear him quote the words of the Sh’ma, and to acknowledge that Americans are “united not by race or religion or by blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.”

Tip-toeing into an ecumenical minefield, Warren spoke of Jesus, but was careful to speak of his personal relationship with “the one who changed my life.” Note the “my.” That’s a welcome contrast to a divisive invocation given by the Rev. Franklin Graham at George W. Bush’s first inaugural, when he prayed for all Americans to “acknowledge [Jesus] alone as our Lord, our Savior, and our Redeemer.”

Jews have been enthusiastic participants in civic religious rituals, and a rabbi from each of the three major denominations was scheduled to take part in Wednesday’s National Prayer Service. But such rituals often involve a chiropractic bending of the Constitution. When prayers are too specific, they threaten inclusiveness; too general, and they water down the religious faith they draw upon.

So here’s one possible solution, short of banning such prayers altogether: Try to ignore the specifics and focus on the metaphors. So much of what is prayed for at national events like these — peace, prosperity, humility — is valid no matter Whom or What is being invoked. Except in cases where prayers belittle the beliefs or practices of others, we should be able to find common ground and general uplift in the particularist poetry of prayer.

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