The theme of unity unfolded during the local celebration of the National Day of Prayer.
About 130 participants from a variety of congregations attending Thursday’s annual event at The Commons in downtown Columbus broke into groups of three and four people to spontaneously pray about various aspects of the community and nation.
The session was among 35,000 such gatherings held nationwide, according to Day of Prayer leaders.
Shortly after Thursday’s petitions, one participant — Larry Elgar of Blessed Life Fellowship in Columbus — smiled when someone asked why unity is important now.
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“How can it NOT be?” he said. “That’s one of the downfalls of the country right now. One (religious) group says to another, ‘We’ll stay over here, and you stay over there.’ “
The Rev. Tracy McIntyre, pastor of Crossroads Community Church near the Bartholomew-Jennings County line, led the proceedings and encouraged the impromptu small groups. He also led several prayers during the gathering focusing on Ephesians 4: 3: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
And he reminded people that unity always is possible amid diversity and differences.
“There are husbands and wives here today who literally would die for one another,” McIntyre said. “But, in about 15 minutes, some of them are going to get into an argument over where they are going to eat.”
McIntyre, known through the years for using humor to make a serious point, drew laughter with the perspective.
Other elements of the event were especially serious, such as when the Rev. Adam Carrigan prayed and asked God’s forgiveness and mercy for the times Christians have used their freedoms wrongly or sinfully via repression or injustice.
“We pray for your forbearance,” Carrigan said.
Julie Lashley, an evangelist with Cornerstone Community Outreach, prayed for freedom for people and families and others battling addictions — and for strength for professionals meant to help addicts.
“And we pray that somehow addicts would come to see you in us, Lord,” Lashley said.
One of the twists of the hour-long time surfaced when McIntyre asked Shihan Li, pastor of the Chinese Community at Community Church of Columbus, to pray in his native Chinese tongue. That off-the-cuff idea resonated with a number of attendees who afterward said the moments of Li’s prayer moved them to tears.
The event also featured music, ranging from Tristan Grider’s soaring a cappella version of “God Bless America” and worship leader Dale Sechrest’s acoustic version of “We Are One.”
The tune appropriately included the words: “We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord/And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.”
