Welcome to Praying 4 Common Sense

"As thy days, so shall thy strength be" -  Deuteronomy 33:25

Politics and religion do not mix, we often hear, but I believe that they can and must co-exist. Our faiths, no matter who and where we worship, provide us with moral compass that guides us to do unto others what you would have them do unto you, to treat each other with respect and a tolerant heart. In government we expect our leaders to do what is right, fair, prudent and sensible.

I sure am not alone to be disturbed that America's political discourse is becoming too divisive with too heated rhetoric, with opponents too casually compared to Hitler and other murderous characters in history, with blatantly biased media serving as mouthpieces of one political party instead of deliverers of plain, fair and truthful news. It crossed the line when journalists and pundits accused Sarah Palin and the Tea Partiers of murder in their hands, without a hair of evidence,when the mentally unstable Jared Loughner went on a shooting rampage in Tucson. And even after investigations revealed no connection at all, the same accusers never apologized but persisted on their accusations. A low point in our national discourse, indeed. It is at times like these when people in elected offices become oblivious to their own hypocrisy, and when things just don't make sense anymore, that like most God-fearing people, I close my eyes, clasp my hands, get down on my knees and say a prayer.

I pray for tolerance that we may respect others' differences in opinions, affiliations and ways of life.  I pray for civility where everybody can duke it out in the battle of ideas but ends the discussions with handshakes. I pray for decency where words are not used, distorted and twisted to destroy a person. I pray for common sense for our elected officials to protect and defend the laws of the land, to live within our treasury's means, to deliver what they promise and to not promise what they do not intend to deliver.

I don't lose faith and hope because this is America: exceptional, land of the free and home of the brave. This is America that overcame the Civil War. This is America that corrected the cruel sin that is slavery. This is America that rose above 9/11. As her days, so shall America's strength be. As her challenges, so shall America's resilience be. As her tribulations, so shall America prevail.

So long as we keep our prayers and old-fashioned common sense, America shall be fine.