Last night, I reached into the drawer of my nightstand and found a book I had long forgotten was there. The book had belonged to my father-in-law, The Rev. Raymond Kepler. A thin black book with barely legible markings on the outside. I opened it and began to read some of the prayers it contains and was amazed. Whoever was their author had insights and perspectives that are so relevant to right now. Prayers recognizing the validity of all religions, prayers asking for hearts to respect onre another’s faith. Prayers for harmony, justice, and peace.
I turned to the front of the book. “A Book of Public Prayers” by Harry Emerson Fosdick with an inscription by Dad Kepler from 1961. The Rev. Fosdick was a great preacher; for a time, a Baptist in a Presbyterian pulpit. It is said that Riverside Church in New York City was built for him. I decided to begin at the beginning of his book and read a prayer each night until I reached its end. I record the opening words of the first prayer in the book:
“Eternal Spirit, who carest for each of us as if thou hadst none else to care for, and yet, carest for all even as thou carest for each, we turn our hearts to thee. All our thoughts touch but the outskirts of thy ways; our imaginations are but partial pictures of thy truth; our words concerning thee are short plummets dropped into a deep sea. Yet, into thy sanctuary we come with grateful and expectant hearts, because while, we by searching cannot find thee out, thou by thy searching, canst find us.”
The language is old fashioned but the thought is fresh and meaningful to me. I am touched by the fact that a man of Fosdick’s stature, could be filled with the rightful humility that befits our humanity and yet the strength of spirit to feel cared for by the Eternal Spirit.