Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep....
Recently, people were talking about where the prayers go. I think that if you
take the time to pray to God, God will definitely take the time to listen.
And, when you are truly in line with God's will, every prayer will be
answered.
No matter what attributes you choose to ascribe to God, based on your own
religious beliefs, any prayers you make definitely have a place to go. You
can call God whatever you want or make your God in any image -- the God of the
Bible, Allah, the higher power or great spirit or even "she" as Colin chooses
to do. The results are still the same because you are lifting your prayers
through your own highest power to a more universal power, and thus making a
connection to God. Just by doing so, you benefit.
Prayer has a definite purpose, and I don't know anyone who hasn't done it at
one time or another -- even the staunchest of agnostics and those who create
their own personalized religion outside the realm of the traditional concept
of God. What are the alternatives to prayer in time of need? Worry, perhaps?
Self pity? Trying to figure it all out in your head until you can't take it
any more? Lighting a candle?
In my old headier, hippier days, I thought it was necessary to expand my
concepts, explore the possibilities of alternative religious thinking. I went
to different churches and circles and universal dances and ashrams and
whatever. However, it always boiled down to a pure God who CAN be prayed to.
I liked the people in the different groups, and the different theosophies were
stimulating, but God just doesn't fit into a formula for me.
All the other stuff seemed like just practices invented by people as a way of
relating to God on different terms. The many-faced dogmas of Christianity.
The world of religious principles found in non Judeo-Christian faiths. The
modern conglomerates of spirituality espoused in hundreds of "new age" books.
The eclecticism of piecing together ancient religions. They pretty much
constitute mere opinion and ritual.
When your ass is hurting, you're still going to "call out and clamor to be
found" by the greater power of the universe. And, I believe your prayer has
somewhere to go after you dispatch it.
It took me a long time to come to terms with that. I came from a mixed Irish
family (Northern Irish Protestant on one side, Irish Catholic on the other)
and, growing up in a mix of oil and water, I never really knew whether I was
floating or sinking. I have never understood how so much animosity exists in
religion from Belfast to beyond, like the current destruction of priceless
Buddha statues in the middle East. The killing of missionaries. Genocide.
The Crusades. Thousands of years of arguing.
Religious factions always seem to bickering. In America, it seems to be the
liberals versus the religious right. Like the bumper stickers on cars -- the
fish contains the word Jesus, then someone puts feet on the fish and spells
Darwin, then a bigger Jesus fish comes along and eats the Darwin fish. I
think they're hilarious, but very sad commentary on the fact that we haven't
"evolved" past fighting over whose way is better. Heavy-duty critics of
Christianity decry past religious wars and dominant patriarchy and
narrowmindedness and other scary things. They claim the Christian religion is
outdated, but sell books on unlocking the mysteries of ancient Egypt or using
the Tarot as an alternative. In turn, devout Christians blast people they
consider pagans and naturally bring up the Biblical promise of hell. Then, of
course, a growing group of Wiccans claim that the hell-and-brimstone dark-age
Christians tried to put an end to their "age-old" peaceful rites. Then
Christian archeaologists point out that there is no evidence of any major
goddess religion that fits Wiccan practice until Gardner "invented" it from
scraps of folklore. Then someone else says something against the Bible. Then
the Bible is used to put that someone else back in their place. Then someone
else again accuses the Christians of being narrowminded, and it's back to
square one.
>From evolution to abortion clinic bombings to modern holy wars to reforms,
everyone still seems to have a stand, and a negative opinion of other people's
stands. Starhawk says this; Pat Robertson says not that. And, as the joke
goes, fifteen Rabbis still come up with sixteen different opinions.
But, none of that religious opinion has anything to do with prayer. In fact,
if more people simply prayed instead of coming up with arguments to burst
other people's religious bubbles, I would venture to say God would be a lot
happier.
If I should die before I wake....
Good night folks. The harper's stepping away from the podium (it's been a
while since I ranted, though, so maybe this is just a temporary relapse or
something...)
Harper Lou
