Protests, violence, little snow: Idaho lawmakers call for prayer and fasting
American politics have gotten ugly. Debates and disagreements have gotten personal. Angst over immigration, the economy and state budget cuts “sow seeds of unrest in Idaho and throughout the land,” according to a resolution proposed by House Majority Leader Jason Monks, R-Meridian.
And what’s more, this winter, the state has gotten record-low amounts of snow.
On Friday, Monks called on Idaho residents to help address these problems — by joining in a day of prayer and fasting on Sunday, March 1.
“The Legislature humbly encourages” the people of Idaho to unite “in a spirit of profound humility and repentance,” Monks’ proposal reads. “Idahoans are exhorted to fast and pray unto Almighty God for abundant moisture to replenish our state’s vital water supplies, that our mountains may be crowned with snow and our rivers flow with life-giving waters.”
Previous Idaho governors — and leaders in other states — have made similar calls for prayer in past years, Monks told the Idaho Statesman. But his resolution — which is not binding — is fairly unusual in its call for fasting, which, more than prayer alone, tends to prompt self-reflection, said Monks, who belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Calls for prayer and fasting often “invoke humility, repentance, unity and earnest supplication for divine intervention,” his resolution reads.
Members of the House State Affairs Committee were enthusiastic about the proposal, which Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen, R-Idaho Falls, called a “wonderful idea.” They voted unanimously to bypass a committee hearing and send the resolution to the full House for a vote. Monks told the Statesman he anticipated that all 70 representatives would wind up supporting the resolution. It must also pass the Senate.
But Rep. Monica Church, D-Boise, was more circumspect about the idea of lawmakers calling on citizens to pray to help resolve the state’s water shortages.
“I love the tenor of this,” she said in committee. “It’s also very important that we be proactive in our policymaking to ensure water supply and snowpack and other vital issues to this state.”
Monks acknowledged that prayer alone would not solve the state’s problems.
“Should we be doing other things too? Yes and yes and yes,” he told the Statesman. But everyone, he said, should take the time to reflect on their own actions, asking themselves: “ ‘Am I making things worse or better?’ ”
Reporter Carolyn Komatsoulis contributed.
