Between Pride and Despair

You may remember the controversy created earlier this summer when a contemporary American politician visited Jerusalem and, in keeping with Jewish tradition, placed his prayer in the Western Wall (aka Wailing Wall or Second Temple Mount). The prayer was written on hotel stationery (Jerusalem's best, the 5 star King David) and was retrieved by, in my opinion, unscrupulous journalists who then publicized it to the world. I defer to the ethicists as to whether my re-printing it here compounds the original sin or simply repeats what others have done, however, in light of this evening's debate between Barack Obama and John McCain, I thought I would sign off in this manner: Lord, protect my family and me. Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just, and make me an instrument of your will.