Different faiths all pray toward same goal: Rain

By CHRISTOPHER QUINN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/24/07

Prayers. Chants. Meditation. Recitations.

People of every faith in Georgia and of every persuasion within the faiths are doing what religious folk have always done when drought hits.

They are looking to the sky, past the clouds or lack of clouds, and asking God to send the water and fill the creeks and rivers. Some traditions have special prayers or rituals specifically asking for rain.

The dry weather also causes worshippers and leaders to think big about their places in the world and how they ought to act, given the circumstances.

Hindus at the newly opened BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Lilburn had a special chant for rain last week during services, said Mitesh J. Patel.

"Our sadhus [holy men] requested it," Patel said. "It is something we can do to improve the condition of our state."

Roman Catholics across the Archdiocese of Atlanta, at the direction of Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, have been praying for rain for weeks.

During prayer time, a congregation member reads out loud the names and events to be prayed for, one at a time, while the congregation responds in unison "Lord, hear our prayer."

Others are taking the responsibility personally.

Pat Chivers, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said, "Many people have told me they are offering a daily rosary for rain."

A rosary is a meditative series of three prayers said repetitively.

The Buddhist monks at Drepung Loseling Monastery in Atlanta have dedicated recent meditations to rain.

Geshe Lobsang Negi, an Emory University lecturer in Tibetan Buddhism, said monks can hold ceremonies and rituals to bring rain. They do so frequently in southern India, where they have monasteries in arid areas, he said.

Plemon Al-Amin, the prayer leader at Masjid of Al-Islam said, "Because the Quran was first revealed in Arabia, there were always challenges in terms of rain. And we do actually have rain prayers."

He and others in the Muslim community are talking about participating in such prayers together.

"But we want to make sure everybody is already in the frame of mind of conserving. Because it's problematic when you are asking for something and not making proper use of what you already have."

Others believe prayers change us, not the world, better preparing us to live in nature.

Some Jewish traditions teach prayer can bring rain, but Rabbi Shalom Lewis of Etz Chaim, said, "I teach the efficacy of prayer is to inspire us, and it gives us a sense that we are participants in what goes on this planet and on this earth.

"I do not think for a minute that if my prayers are eloquent or beautiful enough that they are going to impact on nature.

"And we also recognize that we pray to God for our ability to know what is right or wrong and how to deal with the limited bounty we have," he said.

Others think the brief rain that occurred after Gov. Sonny Perdue and about 250 others participated in a public prayer meeting on the Capitol grounds Nov. 13 show that prayer does change things along with people.

The wet forecast for this weekend is proof that God answers prayers directly, said the Rev. Rusty Newman of First Baptist Church in Snellville. His congregation has been praying for rain during every service for a month.

His church and Snellville United Methodist are hosting an ecumenical prayer service for rain at noon Monday.

"[There is] kind of a running joke," Newman said, "because I challenged them and said if we are going to pray for rain, let's start carrying our umbrellas. It's a statement of faith.

"So I'll ask them, 'You got your umbrellas with you?' "