Here is a contrasting view - Phil Donahue tells of a time when he was starting out as a young television reporter and was sent to cover a mine disaster... It was late at night. Snow was on the ground. It was freezing cold. The rescue team was down the mine shaft. The worried relatives and friends were gathered at the opening to the mine, waiting anxiously for some word of hope.
Someone began to sing, "What a friend we have in Jesus...." Other people joined in the singing, "All our sins and griefs to bear...." Still more voices joined in, "What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer."
Then it was quiet. A minister stepped out of the crowd and said, "Let us pray."
It was a brief moving prayer. Donahue said it was such a moving scene that he got goose bumps. The only problem was that it was so cold that the television camera froze up and didn’t catch the scene.
Donahue held the camera against his body, rubbed it to get it functioning. He got it working, went to the minister, asked him to repeat that prayer. The minister said, "No." Donahue said, "I’m a TV reporter. I represent 260 stations. Millions of people will be able to see you and to hear that beautiful prayer." The minister said, "No."
Donahue said, "Maybe you didn’t understand. I’m not representing some local TV
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