Today, our community — and the nation — celebrates the National Day of Prayer.

Locally, prayers will be publicly given at 7 a.m. today at the Natchez Convention Center and again at a noon ceremony outside City Hall on Pearl Street.

Perhaps no time in our nation’s history have we needed to look to the heavens for answers and guidance more than now.

Our nation struggles with significant issues that divide us including racial differences, gender equality matters and extreme economic disparities.

America even seems to struggle with the acknowledgement that it’s OK for government and government leaders to publicly profess their own personal religious beliefs.

Further, our nation is torn over the idea that having a religious faith and practicing it does not automatically discriminate against those with differing viewpoints or no religious beliefs.

For Christians, the challenge is simple, but complex. How can we all follow the two greatest commandments Jesus gave?

The book of Matthew in the Bible suggests the greatest commandment is to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind.” The second greatest is to, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Those commandments, if we could all just follow them consistently, would make our country so much better and so much stronger.

Let us pray today on this National Day of Prayer for our country that we can all become better followers of those two simple rules.

We urge you to participate in the Day of Prayer. If you’re unable to participate in one of the two public events, simply find a quiet place and pray for our country and our community.