The Prayer Thread is a collection of teachings and practical prompts to help as we learn to pray in community. This text was originally delivered on February 6, 2026 as a short teaching at our online weekly prayer sit.
When times are tough, darkness can feel oversized. Acts of hate, violence, division, and fear-mongering seem to grow big, like monsters hidden in closets and under beds. While darkness can overwhelm us easily, it only takes a single candle to light up a dark space. A similar pattern emerges with sound. Creaks and moans and rustling in the dark can make an old building or dark woods feel creepy and scary. Yet the sound of a clear, strong voice in a cave can echo off the walls and fill an entire space.
If a single voice can have such an impact, we can imagine the sheer, powerful impact of many single voices coming together. In prayer, we regularly use the power of voice together. When we proclaim the good news of sacred texts, the sounds of prayer resound. When we sing hymns and chants, the sounds of prayer resound. When we take to the streets and resist in songs of protest, the sounds of prayer resound. When we stand up for the values & morals of collective community wisdom & human decency, the echoes of our stances resound as prayer.
Darkness may seem big at times, especially in tough times. The voices of hate and fear may try to puff up, appearing bigger than they actually are. Yet light always overcomes darkness. The resounding sounds of prayer echo throughout all of creation and reverberate with the vibrations of real force that overcomes the voids of space in which hate and fear try to inhabit. Let us not waver in doubt as we face the dark. Let us not give up when our voices tremble. The collective impact of our voices and actions in prayer resounding is truly astounding. May we spark a light and resound a sound as we work to overcome the illusions of hate & fear!
