Saturday, October 25, 2003
Worship on the road
In a recent survey, nearly 75 percent of British motorists reported that they pray occasionally while driving, and 22 percent confessed to doing so on a regular basis.
More than half of those who said they prayed said it was for other people who were suffering in some way, or praying and thinking about families, friends and loved ones, the foundation reported.
"A lot of people view motoring as a necessary evil but it might well be the opposite, a necessary good," Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation said in a released statement.
"Society has changed -- with many people choosing to talk to whatever power they worship in ordinary places where they feel relaxed and uninhibited, like motor cars. For some the car has simply become the new church."
For many people, the morning and evening commute may be the quietest time they have during the day. In that sense, it offers an opportune time to speak with -- and perhaps more importantly -- listen for divine guidance.
The Rev. Ian Gregory, a minister in Staffordshire, England, didn't expound as to how commuters might form non-traditional congregations in his statement released by the RAC Foundation.
"Prayer is a great stress buster, and it's good to know that many ask for divine help, although the best prayer is for personal calm," said Gregory, founder of the Campaign for Courtesy. "God can't fix speed camera film or traffic lights. But he can fix people, whether they are driving or whatever."
Permalink
