The Red Hand Files: What will you pray for in the new year?

The Red Hand Files

What will you pray for in the new year?

JÜRGEN, HAMBURG, GERMANY

Dear Jürgen,

I don’t think I’m very good at prayer. I try to pray every day, but when left to my own devices my prayers are often interrupted by all manner of distracting and irrelevant thoughts, and they quickly fall apart. So, nowadays, I tend to add some structure to the whole business by following a kind of prescribed prayer, a version of which seems to be spoken in every church on every Sunday across the country. I begin with a broad, inclusive prayer for the world in general, asking for an end to its unhappiness and violence, then become a little more specific, more timely – I pray for an end to the conflict in Ukraine, for example, peace in the Middle East, especially in Gaza, an end to the seemingly endless crisis in Sudan. My prayers telescope further inward and become more personal. I pray for the UK, the country I live in, for its wellbeing and safety, and I pray for my own country, Australia, and particularly for its Jewish community at this time. My prayers then turn to those close to me, those within my sphere of influence – my friends, neighbours, colleagues, those who children – those still with me and those who have passed on – and, finally, my grandson.

So, an ordinary, unremarkable, unwieldy, and somewhat incomplete prayer. A human prayer, though sometimes it can seem little more than a celestial shopping list. I am often left wondering if all this praying for the world truly makes a difference. I observe this troubled planet in its ceaseless unrest and see little evidence that it does. This can be deeply disheartening at times. However, the prayers for those I can directly impact seem like a different matter. Setting aside questions of whether there is a god and, if so, whether that god is actually listening, I believe it is at least beneficial to dedicate some time each day to silence, reflecting on those closest to me. This focused devotion becomes a form of worship, an unspoken spiritual bond that enriches my relationships and gives the prayer genuine value and utility beyond mere wishing. I do wish the world was a better place. Hopefully, focusing on the particular, this kind of attentive care – both personal and relational – in its smallness and specificity, goes some way towards making it so.

So, Jürgen, my prayers for the new year will be unremarkable. And if they drift or my thoughts stray to other concerns – as they sometimes do – and I need to abandon the prayer entirely, I will simply bow my head and ask for peace on earth and goodwill to all, especially those within my reach, care, and responsibility. write into The Red Hand Files. I pray for my family, my wife, my Love,

Nick Cave