At Barack Obama’s second public inauguration ceremony Jan. 21, a laywoman will offer the invocation, apparently for the first time. We’ve got nothing against clergy, for obvious reasons, but we like this idea. A lot.
Myrlie Evers-Williams, a former chair of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, will offer the invocation Jan. 21 at President Obama’s public swearing-in (following directions set in the Constitution, a private swearing-in ceremony will take place Jan. 20). Evers-Williams’ late husband, Medgar Evers, was a prominent civil-rights leader before he was murdered 50 years ago, and Evers-Williams spent decades working for the conviction of her late husband’s assassin. The story became the basis for the 1996 movie “Ghosts of Mississippi,” in which Evers-Williams was played by Whoopi Goldberg. Evers-Williams is believed to be not only the first lay person to deliver the inaugural invocation, but also the first woman.
The benediction at the public inaugural was originally scheduled to be given by the Rev. Louie Giglio, pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta and founder of the Passion conferences. But he withdrew from the role Jan. 10, apparently as the result of homos*xual advocates who took exception to a sermon Giglio preached in the mid-1990s which stated, as the Bible does, that God considers homos*xuality a sin.
Intentionally or not, the appointment of Myrlie Evers-Williams to deliver what might be the most prominent public prayer that will be given this year is important precisely because she is a lay person. Asking only clergy to deliver public prayers – not only at a prominent event like a presidential inaugural, but also at events as routine as a Rotary luncheon – can lead people to believe that only clergy should pray in public. We disagree with that mindset.
Christian believers of all professions are called to be ready at all times to demonstrate the hope that is within us. We can think of no better way to demonstrate hope than to pray so that others may hear. There are wrong ways to pray in public, to be sure. But a sincere, simple, humble prayer that others hear is a powerful testimony of faith. We hope believers of all political persuasions will take note of the example Evers-Williams will provide, and feel empowered to do something similar in their spheres of influence this year.
