Universal Peace Prayer

Giants of two disparate fields, Bill Pulte, one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., and Doug Coe, the man who transformed the National Prayer Breakfast into one of Washington D.C.’s most influential unofficial events, were joined in a quest. They wanted to create a Universal Prayer for Peace that could be recited, with sincerity and passion, by anyone, of any faith.

For well over a year they deliberated, along with members of their religiously diverse Tuesday morning prayer group that included a Hindu, a Muslim, two devout Catholics (including Pulte himself), three Protestants including Coe, and Rabbi Bemporad, the Jewish representative.

Coe, Pulte, and the prayer group members believed that if enough people around the world recited such a prayer on a regular basis, peace would emerge, and ultimately overtake war. After many trials and drafts, the group settled on the Universal Prayer for Peace, with one version including Jesus for Christians, and the other referencing “all teachers of peace who inspire the many faith traditions…”

Rabbi Bemporad, who has been teaching nuns, priests and lay students at the St. Thomas Aquinas University in Rome for 22 years, and consequently, has envoys from around the world, has introduced them to the Prayer. Many say it before meetings and gatherings, have introduced it to their congregations, and spread it wherever and whenever they can in any of the 19 languages in which it is now available.

And even though Doug Coe died in 2017 and Bill Pulte a year later, their prayer group still begins each gathering with the words, “Dear God, thank you for all creation. In the spirit of all teachers of peace who inspire the many faith traditions, help me, and all the people of the world, learn how to replace hate, war, oppression and division with love, peace, forgiveness, freedom and reconciliation. Help me to embody Your love in my relationships with my family and friends, strangers — even my enemies. I commit myself to these sacred tasks throughout my life.

SO LET IT BE.

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