This I believe, that prayer means presence, a simple presence beyond words; we need only to tap into what Emerson calls “undersong,” the music flowing beneath all of us, always. No words, just a flow of melody and harmony braiding itself into our souls that gives us a spaciousness and quiet that we then can share with others. Hold a hand and breathe together, that is all. No words. Just presence.

I asked my class today if they knew why Monday was a holiday, and not one of them could tell me. There is something deeply amiss. This man changed the history of our nation in a profound way – freedom for all – ideologically, if not in practice. Let’s honor him today, born February 12, 1809 in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky.