Prayer. That was the word that came to his mind as he sat at a table with many foods layed out and with people sitting around it all smiling, talking and laughing. The man at the head of the table held out his hands to both sides of him and the people next to him did the same holding each other's hands and he found himself doing the same. The room seemed almost deathly quiet yet somehow it was in no way uncomfortable.

"In a world where so many are hungry, may we eat this food with humble hearts; in a world where so many are lonely, may we share this friendship with joyful hearts. Ahmen."

"Ahmen" the strange new word was echoed around the table by all that were sitting around it.

Jonas was pulled from the memory straight to another. He was still sitting but now he found himself sitting on a bench with others beside him. Rows of the benches were in front of him all filled with people heads bent down and hands clasped. "Lord we ask you to guide Lisa and her family through there hardships ahead as they work to rebuild the house that was taken from them by a fire. Ahmen."

"Ahmen" the word was echoed around him again. Church he perceived. He was in a church.

The memory ended and Jonas sat up and looked to the Giver. "Giver what was that right now? Who were all those people talking to?"

"They were praying to God." the Giver was silent for a second before continuing "They believed that everything was created by him and that he was a being of power. Religion was the belief in a god. There were actually many different gods and many different religions. Sometimes these religions would start fights, sometimes wars."

"Over religion?"

"Religion is what guided people in the past. Whole civilizations would rise and fall because of it." the Giver seemed to be considering saying more but decided against it.

That day Jonas left the Annex room thinking about religion and of what else it could have caused.

I do not own any part of the Giver series. Hope you enjoyed!