45th National Day of Prayer Luncheon: A Moment That Reminded Us Who We Can Be
Full program
Faye Lane Keynote video
In the days following this year’s National Day of Prayer Luncheon on May 7, I have found myself reflecting less on the event itself and more on what it revealed.
For a few meaningful hours inside the Meyerson Symphony Center, people from every background gathered in a spirit that feels increasingly rare in modern civic life—thoughtful, openhearted, reflective, and deeply connected to one another.
What unfolded that afternoon was more than a successful luncheon. It became a reminder of the quiet power of gratitude to bring people together across differences and reconnect us to something larger than ourselves.
At a time when so much of the world feels divided, moments that bring people together matter more than ever. We were honored to welcome community leaders, neighbors, faith communities and people from across Dallas to join Thanks-Giving Square for this year’s National Day of Prayer Luncheon on May 7 — a meaningful gathering centered on reflection, gratitude and shared humanity. As a shared sacred space in the heart of downtown Dallas, the Square exists to bring people together across beliefs, cultures and backgrounds — moving from common ground to higher ground. Thank you to everyone who joined us in helping shape a more connected and thriving city.
At one point during Faye Lane’s remarks, the room became so still you truly could have heard a pin drop. Her deeply personal reflections on finding hope and direction at Thanks-Giving Square as a young “lost girl” reached people in a profound way. In the days since, I have heard from attendees who continue to carry those moments with them—artists, civic leaders, friends, and neighbors all reflecting on what it means to live with greater gratitude, purpose, and humanity.
What moved me most was not simply the response to a single speech or moment, but the realization that there is a growing hunger in our city for spaces and experiences that elevate how we live together.
At a time marked by division, noise, and isolation, people are longing for connection. They are longing for meaning. They are longing for common ground.
For fifty years, Thanks-Giving Square has quietly served as a shared sacred space at the heart of Dallas. Increasingly, however, it is becoming something more—a movement centered on gratitude, goodwill, and the belief that the future of our city should be measured not only by what we build, but by how we live together.
That spirit was unmistakably present at this year’s luncheon.
In conversations afterward, new ideas emerged almost immediately—ideas rooted in unity, creativity, storytelling, interfaith understanding, and the possibility of Dallas serving as a larger beacon for bringing people together across differences. What became clear is that people are not simply responding to a place. They are responding to a vision for the kind of city we still hope to become.
That gives me enormous hope.
Because the true success of the luncheon will not ultimately be measured by attendance or applause. It will be measured by what continues afterward—in conversations, relationships, acts of goodwill, and the growing belief that gratitude still has the power to shape civic life.
I believe Dallas is ready for that conversation.
And I believe Thanks-Giving Square has an important role to play in helping lead it.
-Kyle Ogden