The Prayer Not Heard

January 19, 2009

After this morning’s reading of several mainstream news sources and various gay blogs I troll, it seems Bishop Gene Robinson’s prayer was never aired on either HBO or NPR, the two media sources granted broadcast rights. The prayer fell within the time frame set for the pre-show to the main event and the Presidential Inaugural Committee made the decision that only the main event was to be broadcast. Regrettably, reports are that much of the Bishop’s prayer was unheard by those actually at the Lincoln Memorial due to technical difficulties with one of the major speaker towers.

By this afternoon the Presidential Inaugural Committee released the following statement as to the exclusion of Bishop Robinson’s prayer in the HBO broadcast.

We had always intended and planned for Rt. Rev. Robinson’s invocation to be included in the televised portion of yesterday’s program. We regret the error in executing this plan – but are gratified that hundreds of thousands of people who gathered on the mall heard his eloquent prayer for our nation that was a fitting start to our event.” — Josh Earnest, Communications Director of the Presidential Inaugural Committee

The political party planners have said the exclusion of Bishop Robinson’s prayer from the televised broadcast was a mistake and I’m going to choose to accept them at their word. This doesn’t mean the mistake sits well with me because it was a mistake that should have never happened. Given the tremendous disappointment of the GLBTQ community to multiple defeats to marriage equality and adoption rights in November’s election, and the anger and frustration over the selection of Rev. Rick Warren to lead the invocation prayer on Inauguration Day, it would seem the most obvious thing in the world that they would have gone out of their way to insure Bishop Robinson’s prayer yesterday was televised. Simply put, mistake or not, they should have known better.

But given all that, Bishop Gene Robinson did pray at the kick off event to the Inauguration and it was a compassionate, powerful prayer. Neither would I be surprised if in the final count more people will hear, see, and read Bishop Robinson’s prayer over the internet in the coming days because of this mistake than would have heard it had it been originally included in HBO and NPR’s coverage. And as Patricia  reminds us in the comments below, Bishop Robinson’s prayer was heard by the One to whom it was directed and to that prayer I add my “Amen.”

With tomorrow’s Inauguration, let’s move into a new Presidency with hope for change in issues that impact not only our nation but the world….along with a little hope for a few less mistakes.

Posted in News and Events