Keys to the Kingdom
By Carolyn Tucker
Fourth of July

Peter Marshall was born in Scotland in 1902 and moved to the United States of America in 1927 to pursue theological training. He became a U.S. citizen in 1938 and remained deeply committed to his faith and the United States until the end of his life.

During his lifetime, Dr. Marshall was pastor of three churches: Covington, GA; Atlanta, GA; and Washington, D.C. His pastoral prayers were honest and faith-filled and his congregations longed to experience them in worship. The young minister always clasped his hands around the pulpit microphone and prayed extemporaneously with his eyes closed — he used no written prayer or even notes. The prayers flowed from his heart in a rare beauty of sincere and down-to-earth language. Dr. Marshall was known as a godly man with an extraordinary gift for praying.

At the close of 1946, he was appointed Chaplain of the U. S. Senate. Immediately, Peter Marshall’s Senate prayers began to receive a great deal of National publicity. He humbly served in this capacity until his death in 1949. His prayers and counsel were highly respected as he called for moral guidance and integrity in government.

Dr. Marshall is remembered not only for his eloquent preaching and pastoral leadership, but also for his enduring influence on American religious life and public service. His life exemplified the power of spiritual guidance in the church and government. He desired to see Americans put aside selfishness and false pride, and become truly righteous so that the United States of America might rise to her God-appointed destiny of world leadership.

Peter Marshall’s concern was for individuals to exude the essential virtues of honesty, integrity, and goodness; and for righteousness on a National scale. He knew we could never achieve as a Nation what we are unwilling to do as individuals. He directed everyone to be kind, patient, understanding, and forgiving of one another even as God for Christ’s sake forgives us. His emphasis on individual godly virtues was an ever-recurring prayer when he served as Chaplain of the U.S. Senate.

This 4th of July, may we take to heart one of the prayers Dr. Peter Marshall gave during his two-year service as U.S. Senate Chaplain:

“We give Thee thanks, our Father, that Thou hast guided us safely over land and ocean, that in Thy kindly providence Thou hast permitted our lot to be cast in this pleasant place, that we are privileged to live in a land founded under God. We give Thee thanks that this Land was settled by men and women who came here, as we did, in order that they might live in the light of freedom, in order that they might worship Thee according to the dictates of their consciences.

Help us never to forget, our Father, that all the rights and privileges we enjoy here have blood on them, that every good gift was bought and paid for in human sacrifice. This goodly heritage is ours by choice and by adoption. May we never lightly regard it! May we ever be grateful to those who in years past have labored and loved in order that we might have something to inherit. This we pray in humbleness and thanksgiving. Amen.”

The Key: Father, after 250 years as a Nation under God, bring us to our knees in prayer.

By Patty LaRoche

Only the person wearing the shoe knows where it pinches. How many times have we heard (or said) “I know exactly how you feel”? We assume we have “walked in their shoes,” but the truth is, we haven’t, even though we might have had a similar situation.

After my mother died, an acquaintance surprised me with her empathetic request, “Why don’t we meet for coffee? I would love to hear all about your mother.” I remember thinking how kind her request was and accepted her invitation. We met for coffee, and immediately she began the conversation: “I will never forget how I felt when my mother died and so know exactly what you’re going through,” at which point — for the next hour — she spoke non-stop about her mother. And just like that, she had to leave.

I sat at the table, wondering how long it would be before she realized what she had done and apologize, but she did not return. Although I saw her several times after that, she never acknowledged her insensitivity.

“Unless you’ve walked in someone else’s shoes, you have no idea how they feel” is an idiom that promotes empathy and a warning not to presuppose you really understand what a person is going through unless you personally have dealt with it — which no one has.

We might have gone through something similar (say a divorce or a miscarriage or bankruptcy or a health issue), but none of us can assume to understand another’s situation, thought process, experience or challenges he/she faced. We can’t truly understand their journey until we’ve felt the weight they carry, the terrain they’ve crossed, and the blisters they’ve endured.

When we try to “get” someone’s life based on what they say, we often miss the nuances. Pain, loss, and hardship are wrapped in layers — late nights, hidden tears, silent battles — that only the person experiencing them can truly feel. Walking someone else’s journey is about recognizing the weight they carry, the obstacles they’ve overcome, and the resilience they’ve built.

Listening well (asking open-ended questions and encouraging them to share without judgment) is a start. Jesus was the master at asking questions to allow the listeners to share what they were feeling. He was the only one ever born who truly understood the depth of their pain and responded with compassion.

The next time you are tempted to tell someone you have walked in their shoes, remember this: one size does not fit all.