Photo By Sgt. Grace L. Waladkewics | 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point leadership bow...... read more read more
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The National Day of Prayer brought together nearly 200 service members and civilians of various religious denominations by investing in hope and supporting our nation through prayer during a ceremony at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, May 5, 2016.
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.
“When I think about the National Day of Prayer, a few things come to mind,” said Maj. Gen. Gary L. Thomas, commanding general of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. “The first thing for me is that we live in a country where we can worship as we choose without fear of reprisal, which as I get older, I realize is not the norm for many parts of the world, and that we have much to be grateful for. The second is the fact that our history is replete with examples of our leaders seeking God’s guidance during difficult times. Prayer has been a great source of strength for these leaders and I believe this has resulted in blessings for our nation.”
The National Day of Prayer is important because one of the things that makes America a great nation is our tolerance and acceptance of all people, explained Cmdr. David Shirk, MCAS Cherry Point command chaplain.
“We have a great tolerance for each religion and denomination and events like this help us to realize and remember that we have more things in common than we do things that separate us,” said Shirk. “Although we all have different religions and we go to different churches, we can all appreciate the fact that although we all have different convictions, prayer is one of the things that brings us all together.”
According to Thomas, in order for our nation to be truly great, it must first be good. The United States is a very influential nation across the globe and our actions have an impact on millions of people in this country and throughout the globe.
“For some of us, prayer is like a pilot and his parachute; it is there in case of emergency, but you hope you never have to use it. But for many others, prayer has been a source of great strength and comfort to lean on in times of great distress,” explained Thomas. “‘Courage is a sign of faith’ – that phrase has stayed with me over the years. For many, courage comes from faith, and prayer is a manifestation of that faith. Prayer provides hope that, in spite of overwhelming circumstances things will somehow turn out alright.”
According to Shirk, events like the National Day of Prayer lift morale and are very important for overall readiness because readiness not only encompasses family readiness, but also spiritual readiness, and spirituality is a very important part of decision making and the drive that it takes to sacrifice what is needed for our nation and for others.
“For many of our Marines and Sailors, prayer provides hope that all will be well in the end. This helps them to stand firm in the face of dire circumstances in places with the hope that they will prevail and return home safely and if the unthinkable were to happen, they have hope that they will yet find a better place,” said Thomas.
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.06.2016 15:03 |
| Story ID: | 197499 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 69 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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