One Percent Of The Square Root…

I have a "gift" for collecting and recalling odd, virtually useless bits of information.  Every so often this gift shows itself around the house and Robin will ask how I can know something that would be so obscure.  "Beats me!" is my best answer. A fact caught my attention in some way and got filed away in my brain, awaiting that time when it would spring forth, perhaps in a game of Trivial Pursuit, when it may actually be useful.

One of those odd bits was a claim made, I believe, by proponents of Transcendental Meditation, that if one percent of the square root of the world's population would simultaneously meditate, then actual progress would emerge in world peace. If I had to guess I would say I heard that in the late 70's or early 80's.  I do know that I was skeptical of the claim then, and would call it outright nonsense now.

Last night we had a community prayer meeting.  The needs of our community are great and for a while I have thought it would be good to gather people together and pray for our community. A good idea, but I never got around to doing anything about it.  So three weeks ago, while making the church calendar for September, I set a date and time, and then last week I asked Robin to make some signs, which I put up around town.

And last night, eight people gathered together to pray.  In a community of 2,743 that may not be a lot of people, just under 0.3% of the population.  I was never a whiz at math but if I figured correctly we had 16 times the minimum standard of those seekers of world peace via meditation. 

Eight people sitting in chairs arranged in a circle.  One of them reading a psalm and then about 30 minutes of people praying, sometimes aloud and sometimes silently.  My primary intent in gathering was to pray for our community, but being God's people gathered in prayer other things were lifted up as well. 

The psalm, 121, begins like this:

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

  He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
  Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."

Are the prayers of eight people enough to make a difference?  This side of heaven that is a question without an answer.  One thing we did agree on afterwards was that we are going to do it again.  We were a small group, but we pray to a God without limits in power, in strength, in mercy, in love. 

He alone is our help, both as individuals and as a community.  And we will continue to gather and ask Him to act for the good, and for the healing, of our community.  And may He, alone, receive all our praise and glory.  Amen.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.