Despite the recent lawsuit claiming the event violates the separation of church and state, Gov. Rick Perry leaves his Day of Prayer and Fasting on the calendar for Aug. 6. Is Perry’s prayer movement starting a trend at the local government level?
Perry isn’t the only one with a vision. In June Linda Thompson, mayor of Harrisburg, Penn., shared her vision to pray and fast with a local ABC affiliate.
“Things that are above and beyond my control; I need God,” Thompson told ABC. “I depend on Him for guidance. Spiritual guidance. That’s why it’s really no struggle for me to join this fast and prayer.”
Perry also values looking to God for guidance. On the website for Perry’s event, The Response, he says, “As a nation we must come together, call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles.”
Pennsylvania’s state capital is in need of a financial fix, and balancing the budget seems to be a task only cut out for the One who has already paid all debt. The city has come close to bankruptcy as rising costs continue to put the capital’s pocketbook deeper into the red. The debt is estimated to total $3.5 million by the end of the year.
Despite several disagreeing blog posts, disappointed protestors, many citizens’ beliefs that the prayer and fasting campaign would be unconstitutional, and even fellow workers stepping down from their positions, Thompson turned to God.
The multi-denominational event, held June 21 to June 24, included Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders. The City of Harrisburg website tells of Thompson’s appreciation for the support she received during the event. A post on the site reads, “ She recognized the friendly global response to the message that progress is sometimes positively achieved through a spiritual commitment to human community.”
Thompson held a press conference Monday regarding the financial disaster, outlining a recovery plan. City council will vote on the Act 47 Recovery Plan—the proposed solution for Harriburg’s budget crisis—Tuesday evening.
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