On a cold and rainy Sunday evening, about 70 gathered at the Bethany Congregational Church in Quincy to pray.  What made this gathering different? It was made up of Hindus, Muslims, Unitarians, and Christians all coming together to join their voices as one in praying for peace in our world.

When terrorism or natural disaster happens, all of us are affected in one way or another.  We can get caught up in all sorts of feelings and emotions, and this is okay but once the dust settles what should our response be?  As people of faith, our duty to others is clear.  Jesus taught us to take care of one another, and our burdens and one of the most effective ways to make this happen is by prayer.

Quincy Prays for Peace was the idea of Bethany Church member Jean Ann Phinney.  “I had been thinking about this for a while and the time just seemed right.”  When Senior Pastor, Rev. William C Harding, was deployed to Iraq as a United States Army Chaplain, Jean Ann organized a 24/7 prayer chain to hold Pastor Bill and all the soldiers deployed in prayers.  Quincy Prays for Peace is an extension of that prayer chain.

Rev. William C. Harding, Bethany Senior Pastor and host for the evening, welcomed all in attendance to Bethany and expressed his hope that, “Bethany continues to be a beacon of prayer and hope in Quincy and that our prayers continue long after this night has ended.”

The service brought together people of diverse faiths with the common goal of praying for peace in the light of the terrorist attacks in Paris and other parts of the world.  Prayers offered by the religious leaders of the City of Quincy, Dr. Jean-Jacques Yarmoff, the Attaché for Science and Technology from the French Consulate in Boston, brought the greetings and thanks of the French government.

Drawing from the many faith traditions of the Unitarian Universalists, Rev. Rebecca Froom from the United First Parish Church in Quincy, asked the assembled congregation to join her in a song written by a chaplain who worked at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks.  “When I breathe in, I breathe in peace. When I breathe out, I breathe out love.”

Representatives of the varied faith groups from Quincy stood and, in their language and tradition, prayed for peace in our hearts and peace in the world.  Imam Dr. Khalid Nasr of the Islamic Center of New England asked, during his brief remarks, that “we do not end here we need to continue the dialogue as people of faith.” Imam Nasr then chanted a beautiful Islamic prayer for peace.

In his closing remarks, Rev. Harding reminded those assembled that, “Just as the light from these bring the light into the darkness we now have to be that light and drive away darkness out in the world.”

The members of Bethany Congregational Church have reinstituted their prayer chain and ask all houses of worship to consider joining with theirs or creating their show we people of faith may shower our prayers on this hurting world and attempt to be healing.

Participating in the service were Rev. Rebecca Froom, United First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist, Kumu Gupta from the Hindu Community, Imam Dr. Khalid Nasar, Haider Alsarah, and Hawraa Alsaad of the Muslims Community, and Rev. William C. Harding and Rev. Peter Preble from Bethany.

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