An Island That Prays Together... 'Bettejo Dux' (Vintage Bettejo)

Bettejo Dux has lived on the cosmic Garden
 Island of Kaua'i for over 40 years.

Bettejo is a regular opinion writer in the Garden Island news
 and is the author of the famed novella, "The Scam." 
 Her latest fiction"Children of extinction"
 is now  released and available on Amazon!

www.bettejodux.com

www.amazon.com

Bettejo at 84 years young taking time
 out of her busy day for one of many
scheduled book signings.

An Island That Prays Together

Bettejo at the Martin Luther King Jr.
festivities at Kukui Grove back in 2013

Headlines. 
The Garden Island newspaper, Monday May 4. My goodness. "Their National Day of Prayer signifies unity across people in the United States of America and it signifies a special day, no matter what faith group you belong to..." Jeffrey Pears, chairman of the Interfaith Round-table of Kauai said. "It crosses all barriers, all faith groups, and brings all of us together..."
http://thegardenisland.com/news/local/an-island-that-prays-together/article_6ff150f6-d61c-5193-b6ea-e59bb44d2728.html
Such a beautiful thought. I love Jeffrey. I've laughed with him on many occasions. I love to laugh. We share the idea that there's little more healing than a really good gaffaw. We meet last at a large meeting of the Jewish community. I can't remember when I've felt so happy and at home in a crowded room. The best and the brightest on Kauai, in my estimation, were there. We laughed. We listened. We learned. We also snacked. But nobody prayed.

As I read through the TGI article I note there are two organization. Jeffrey's IRK and KIM-Kauai Island Ministries- organized by Niles Kageyama, who has invited all Christian churches across the island to join their event with different pastors, John Zimmerman of Lihue Missionary Church and Pastor Larry Matsuwaki from Faith Christian Fellowship. They share the same theme "Hear Our Cry" and meet at the same place, on the same day, Thursday, May 7, at the Civic Center Rotunda in Lihue. IRK goes first from 9 to 11 A.M. KIM  takes second billing, 11:30 to 12:30PM.

"No Buddhists, no Zoroasters, no Islamists, no Hindus..." My friend Monroe Richmasn, reminds us, are invited to join IRK.

Debra Valentina, who leads the Center for Spiritual Living, and will attend the IRK meeting, says, "It doesn't matter to me that there's two."

Seems odd to me, but that's the way the wafer crumples.

Also, we're told, the National Day of Prayer began in 1775. My search revealed:

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.  A privately funded organization, whose purpose is to encourage participation on the National Day of Prayer, exists to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, to create appropriate materials, and to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America’s leaders and its families. They represents a Judeo Christian expression of the national observance, based on our understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible.

I'm reminded of a story about a  visitor to California who had the misfortune to experience an earthquake. "I'm scared," she cried. Her friend, who'd taken shelters in a door way, hollered, "I'm from California. We always get under a door way." "I'm from New jersey," cried the scared lady,  "where do I go?"

As a devout non believer-more agnostic than atheistic, I mean, I don't know- who doesn't go to church, doesn't pray, ask, "Where do I go?"

P.S.
This blog appeared two days later on May 8,2015 in the Kaua'i Garden Island news;"Pray all you want, but where should I go?"
http://thegardenisland.com/news/opinion/guest/pray-all-you-want-but-where-should-i-go/article_f42712c8-3260-5231-baeb-55bc457b306c.html

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