May 5, 2012
Perhaps nothing has been as praised - and belittles - as the power of prayer. There are certainly many who associate prayer with a "now I lay me down to sleep" ritual that doesn't produce much. And then there is always the question of whether anyone is listening, whether the contents of your prayer are "approved", whether it's someone's will or not, et cetera. And of course, there will always be the nitpickers and naysayers.
So, let's step back for a moment and see what we might learn by starting at a beginning and not bothering with pre-existing spiritual baggage.
In an old Fransiscan mission in what was once the library, on the ceiling is a large eye. It was to remind the priests and brothers that their God was watching them. While some of us in Sunday School were told that that meant that someone "up there" was keeping score on us, the fact is that it means that The Divine is here with us. We don't need to worry about where The Divine is, anymore than we need to worry about if The Divine is listening.
Do you see the implications of this? Do you see what we can build from this?
Many don't, but you will!
Blessed Be!