May 24, 2023

Madeleine L’Engle

I have long appreciated the writing of Madeleine L’Engle (1918-2007) and particularly her words about prayer. So, you can imagine my surprise recently when I read that her novel A Wrinkle in Time has consistently appeared on the list of most frequently banned books. Madeleine took heat from both sides: secular as well as religious. The secular set labeled her books as too religious for quoting the Bible so often and giving hints of her Christian leanings. The religious crowd took exception to the magical elements in her book. Does the brouhaha some years ago over the Harry Potter series ring a bell? Some actually claimed she promoted an occultic worldview. Geez. Give the woman a break!

I am indebted to Madeleine for something she wrote about prayer that finally pushed me over the edge to incorporate prayer into my daily life. “Praying is like playing the piano. You won’t do it well every single day, but unless you do it every single day, you’re never going to do it well.” Madeleine wrote the following prayer while riding the 104 Broadway Bus in New York City:

There is so much pain I cannot understand
I cannot pray
Here I am
And the ugly man with beery breath beside me reminds me that
it is not my prayer that wakens your concern, my Lord,
My prayer, my intercessions are not to ask for your love
for all your lost and lonely ones,
your sick and sinning souls,
but mine, my love, my acceptance of your love.
Your love for the woman sticking her umbrella
under her expensive parcels into my ribs
and snarling, “Why don’t you watch where you are going?”
Your love for me, too, too tired to look with love.
Too tired to look at love, at you, in every person on the bus.
Expand my love, Lord, so I can help to bear the pain…

Rev. Dr. Peter James served 42 years as the senior of Vienna Presbyterian Church in Vienna, VA — 21 years in the 20th century and 21 years in the 21st century. He retired in 2021 and now serves as Pastor-in-Residence at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Even as a pastor, prayer came slowly to Pete. Read Pete’s story.