The roots of this holiday go back to the 1700s, although it was not pinned down to a specific time (the first Thursday in May) until 1988. The manner of its observation, and the religions that choose to participate in it, have varied over time. The core concept is simply to encourage people to honor a higher power of their choice. For some years, the holiday was celebrated as an interfaith event. More recently, mainstream religions have predominated the event, sometimes to the point of annoying people who follow other traditions. Prayer is a widespread-nearly universal-human practice, so there is no need to have a narrow interpretation of this holiday.
Today is an ideal time for outreach. Hold a simple ritual in a safe, public place. Volunteer to read a prayer before an event. Arrange a gathering with people from diverse religions, and share a prayer from each. |
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