Thursday, April 10, 2008

Simple awareness

"Desert Sun"

It is a common misconception that prayer is about talking to God. Actually, talking is not necessary. Words are not only not necessary, they can be a genuine hindrance at times. Here's a wonderful passage that describes the real beauty of non-verbal prayer - the prayer of simply disposing oneself towards God:
As one passes through the wilderness on the way back to God, one discovers a new depth and efficaciousness at prayer. Previously one might have thought that prayer consisted in saying things to God and that it trafficked only in words and mental images. In the desert the words and images fall away, and one is left with a simple awareness of God’s presence. The subtle presence of God is as palpable as that of a friend or lover, and yet one does not see God. Rather, it is as though for a moment in the corner of one’s eye one glimpses God passing. One feels caught up in God’s presence and transformed by it.
-- William A. Simpson in From Image to Likeness: The Christian Journey into God

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