The Healing Journey

July 18, 2026

My friend David was standing near the door of the crowded commuter train, making the great escape out of Manhattan along with the rest of us. For some time, I noticed him pressing the keys of his cell phone and moving his lips, and wondered what he was doing. Later, as we were pulling into the station, he made no move to get off and I thought for sure he’d miss our stop.

“C’mon, we have to go,” I said. He looked up and answered, “I was saying my prayers.” That’s something you don’t hear every day, but David is different. He’s an Orthodox Jew who understands that prayer is as important as breathing. It’s spiritual breathing and without it, our souls die.

That’s a forgotten truth in 21st century America, where praying in public is guaranteed to get you in trouble. I once read about a school worker in Maine, who during a private conversation told her colleague, “I will pray for you.” A lawsuit followed, and her employer threatened disciplinary action and possible dismissal if it happened again.

Why is prayer such a subversive activity? And why is secular society increasingly suspicious of anyone who expresses religious sentiments? Prayer — not to mention talk about God – makes some people uneasy and outright nasty.

Every time there’s a national tragedy, the debate seems to intensify, and a new round of “prayer shaming” begins. I remember one headline after a national tragedy that said, “Prayers aren’t working.” That’s often the view of people who put politics before prayer. They typically attack prayer as an ineffective substitute for legislative action. The reality, however, is that yet another law isn’t going to solve our country’s soul crisis. Only God can cure it. So pray long and pray often and if the spirit moves you, pray in public.
©J Pisani

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