Walking in prayer circles as an act of trusting God

Written by Mariah Velásquez, Associate Director of the Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture at Westmont College.

My family lives in a seemingly idyllic valley in California where many people come to visit wineries and quaint downtowns. However, in January 2025 tensions began to overflow. 

People who had immigrated from other countries became afraid to go to work or the grocery store because they might be stopped or detained by immigration officials. Others became vocal about their distrust of immigrants and desire to see them removed. These tensions were deeply troubling to me, but I didn’t see any way I could be of help.

I began by asking the question, “How are you?” to those I encountered. I left space for honest responses. Just being willing to listen for a couple of minutes rather than rushing off provided an opening for people to name their fears and anxieties. This felt like one very small piece I could offer.

We were then told by my son’s afterschool program that the children would be kept inside every afternoon rather than playing on the playground. Parents had been picking up their children through an unlocked playground gate, which meant the gate needed to remain open during afterschool hours. With immigration enforcement activity causing fear throughout the community, staff did not feel they could safely allow the children to play outside while the gate was unsecured. 

The same question kept arising: What can I do to help? With my limited time and energy, I asked God to show me one small step I might be able to take. 

In conversation with a close friend, I realized that I could speak with the school administration about changing the pickup process so that the playground gates could remain secured. God was incredibly generous. As I dropped my children off at school the next day, the superintendent was on the sidewalk, seeking to be a reassuring presence. I was able to talk with her for a moment and explain the miscommunication between the school and afterschool programs. She responded immediately and said she would work with the staff to ensure that parents entered through the building and the playground gates remained secured each afternoon. 

By the time I picked my son up that day, the gates were locked and a sign with new pickup instructions had been displayed. The children were once again freely playing outside. I was grateful and amazed by the rapid response of the school and afterschool program administrators. At least this one small situation had been improved.

While discussing the anxiety and tumult present in our school community with my spiritual director, she suggested that I begin to go on prayer walks. Each morning after dropping my children off, I began to walk around the school perimeter and pray. I prayed for the administration, teachers, staff, parents, children and neighbors. I prayed for safety and reconciliation. These walks became another way to seek to join God in the work he is doing. Walking with God around the school has reminded me that we are not alone in difficulties like this. As we can see in Isaiah 43:1-4, God created each person and is with us as we “walk through the fire.” He cares deeply for every single person on the school grounds and in our community (not only people on one side or the other of political conflicts). I can trust that he is present and at work amidst the tensions.

Through this experience, I have learned that I do not need to seek to “fix” everything. I can look for one small step at a time. 

I can trust that God is real and is really involved in the conflicts and challenges of our lives. By paying attention to when he invites and gently nudges us into action, we can be faithful in the small ways that can lead to real change.

Is there a conflict in your life or community where God might be inviting you to take a small step toward reconciliation? How might literally or figuratively walking with God around the conflict lead to change?