A Christian group’s prayer list went out this month to the Kansas Legislature, with a prayer for the “dark spiritual areas” of the state, identified as Lawrence, Kansas City, northern Johnson County and southeast Kansas.
Not surprisingly, representatives from the “afflicted” areas felt less than blessed.
What did the Capitol Commission’s Kansas representative mean by the phrase “dark spiritual areas”? Are these areas spiritually dark because they didn’t elect Republican lawmakers? House Minority Leader Paul Davis (D-Lawrence) thought that might be what the prayers were getting at. “Do you think it a coincidence that all of these ‘dark’ areas are represented by Democrats in the Kansas Legislature?” Davis asked. He also defended Lawrence as a community with deep spiritual roots, and said the letter was “truly offensive.”
But Dave DePue, the Capitol Commission’s state director, told the Wichita Eagle that the prayer item was not some political snub; it was a prayer on behalf of areas that aren’t prospering. “We’re just praying for the economy,” he said, noting a prayer targeting Democrat strongholds would have included Topeka and northeast Kansas. “It has nothing to do with politics.”
After others took offense, DePue said he didn’t intend to offend anyone and apologized. “It’s just unfortunate wording on my part,” he said. Indeed, the wording seems nonsensical, since at least some of the target areas are thriving.
Now that everyone from the dark side has had a chance to enlighten Mr. DePue, they should accept his apology and move on.