Prayer for Serenity

The serenity prayer is attributed to American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. I vaguely remember researching his writing in order to write a paper in graduate school. The first part of the prayer goes:

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change; 

courage to change the things I can; 

and wisdom to know the difference.

This has much in common with Stoic thought—also most religions from ancient time. How many of us know someone who constantly batters themselves trying to move a 10-ton rock?

I had a professor in grad school who hated the prayer. I think due to the part about accepting things I cannot change. 

There are two other parts to the pray.

Finding the courage to change things. How about practicing what the Hebrew prophet Micah reported, “practice justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

We call Yoga a practice. Medical doctors had a practice. I rather appreciate the idea of a justice practice.

The other key is wisdom. I cannot bring world peace. But I can bring peace to those around me. Of course, if everyone…

During my first semester of graduate school the faculty decided to disband the program. And my professor, well, he was a professor and changed almost nothing. (I looked up the faculty years later to see whatever happened to them.)

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