A Five-Second Prayer

<p>Receiving a death notice is a surreal experience and I've had that bitter taste twice in my life. Never did I fathom that I'd be walking through the valley of the shadow of death once more. After all I'd endured since birth I believed I'd already carried my fair share of suffering. So when the doctor delivered the shattering news of a life-threatening cancerous tumor it rattled me to the core in a way I never thought I would encounter.</p><p></p><p>What I have come to understand more so now than ever before is that prayer has always found a way to bring my troubled spirit a form of peace that I can't understand and a sense of calm and resolution even now as Jews (of Israel) and Muslims (of Palestine) continue to fight for what they believe in the Holy Land of Jerusalem.</p><p></p><p>Prayer is human communication with the sacred--God gods the transcendent realm or supernatural powers. But to label prayer solely as a form of communication is akin to describing a grand symphony as mere notes on a page. Prayer is a tapestry woven with threads of human history spirituality and the very essence of our existence. In reality prayer is a mosaic of multidimensional practices as old as humanity.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>God Forgive me.</p><p></p><p>Cleanse me.</p><p></p><p>Make me whole again!</p><p></p><p>Amen.</p>