Prayer

Stained glass window at Phra Boromathat Chedi, Santikhiri, Doi Mae Salong, Chiang Rai, Thailand.

Petition the Lord with Prayer
Jim Morrison (1943-1971)

When I was back there in seminary school
There was a person there
Who put forth the proposition
That you can petition the Lord with prayer
Petition the Lord with prayer
Petition the Lord with prayer
You cannot petition the Lord with prayer

My photo and Jim Morrison’s poem are meant to juxtapose a beautiful religious image and a powerful poem that, in my view, expresses that through your own actions, rather than through prayer, you can accomplish your goals and dreams. It is meant for reflection only and in no way intended to mock Buddhism or other religions.

This post is dedicated to Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and Ekaterina Samoutsevitch, members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot, who today were convicted of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” for their “punk prayer”, a protest against the Russian Orthodox Church leader’s support of President Vladimir Putin. While one can argue over the decision to hold their performance inside of a cathedral, and equally about the Church’s support for Putin, the conditions and the duration of their 5-months-long investigative custody as well as the federal prosecutor’s demand for a 3-year-jail sentence for a mere misdemeanour are more than just extremely disproportionate  and constitute a human rights violation. Free Pussy Riot!