Rabbi, Priest and Pastor Write Joint Prayer Recognizing Kinship of Faiths

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

Rabbi, priest and minister have cooperated in formulating a prayer acknowledging the kinship of the faiths and the common fatherhood of God. It was published by its authors, the Rev. John A. O’Brien, pastor of St. John’s Catholic Church; Rabbi Benjamin Frankel, director of the Hillel Foundation, and the Rev. James C. Baker, pastor of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, all of Urbana. The text of the prayer is as follows:

“Almighty God–We, who are members of different races and faiths, desire together Thy fatherhood and our kinship with each other. In our difference we find that many of our hopes, our fears, our aspirations are one. Thou art Our Father and we are Thy children.

“We are heartily sorry for the mists of fear, envy, hatred, suspicion and greed which have blinded our eyes and thrust us asunder. May the light that comes from Thee scatter these mists, cleanse our hearts and give health to our spirits, teach us to put away all bitterness and walk together in the ways of human friendship.

“Open our eyes to see that as nature ends in variation, so differences in human beings make for richness in the common life. May we give honor where honor is due–regardless of race, color or circumstance. Deepen our respect for unlikeness and our eagerness to understand one another. Through the deeper unities of the spirit in sympathy, insight and cooperation may we gladly share with each other our best gifts and together seek for a human world fashioned in good under Thy guidance. Amen.”