I am aware that in any marriage, there are two sides to every story, and I only have access to one side. I imagine there is more to the story; there usually is. I agree that no human being, even a minister or highly religious person, is perfect.
I did not ask for prayers that the marriage be mended or that any specific outcome I have in mind might come to pass. When I asked for prayers, what I meant but did not specify, was prayers for guidance and strength to make good choices and to endure a horrific situation without falling to pieces. I asked for prayers for him and his family, including his wife and kids, regardless of who is "right" or "wrong". I asked for prayers for the church, which is obviously affected by the suffering and distraction of its leader. "Thy will be done" is an excellent prayer and appropriate for all situations.
I agree with Johns that most of this world's suffering is due to human actions, usually poorly made choices. I agree that the outcome, whatever it is, will not be of my making. But I do think that it can be and IS my business to care about my fellow humans.
I do try to practice random acts of kindness. I'm sure I could do more of them, especially on days when I am paralyzed by despair such as yesterday.
I am not going to stop feeling sorry for my minister.
The way I understand it, Johns believes that kind actions create a visible positive impact in this world. I agree. The way I understand it, Johns does not believe that prayer is likely to change the situation and does feel that praying is futile except to make the person praying feel better. On that point, we will just have to agree to disagree.
It was not and is not my intention to start a debate about religion here. But I try to be open-minded enough to listen to and respect other people's beliefs.