On Prayer, Or Something Like It

This is a bit of a ramble, mostly thoughts that make themselves known in the tiny hours after midnight when I cannot sleep.They often have much in common with the general notion of mortality, in which - as I have written elsewhere, I do not believe - preferring the idea of our immortality on planes we do not yet fully comprehend. But that is a minority opinion. The more common view is the one Iris DeMent considers in her 1992 song, Let the Mystery Be:

"Everybody is wondering what and where they all came from. Everybody is worrying 'bout where they're gonna go when the whole thing's done. But no one knows for certain and so it's all the same to me. I think I'll just let the mystery be.

Some say once you're gone you're gone forever. And some say you're gonna come back. Some say you rest in the arms of the Savior if in sinful ways you lack. Some say that they're coming back in a garden. Bunch of carrots and little sweet peas. I think I'll just let the mystery be."

While Ms. DeMent may be content to "let the mystery be," many are not. Others, perhaps particularly those of us with 7, 8, maybe 9 decades in the rearview mirror, seem to become more concerned about where they fit in "the mystery." They often shake the rust off childhood training, and find their way back into religious houses and behaviors long ignored - seeking guidance as to how they might participate in that ongoing "mysterious dialogue."

That desire for active participation in "the dialogue of the mysterious" apparently manifests itself across cultures and belief systems, in something commonly referred to as "prayer."

Let me step back a bit since I'm not really sure when and with whom I first broached these notions. A common conception of prayer is that our supplications reach the eternal - that God hears our prayers, and can intercede on our behalf.  That would be so cool.

But such an assertion leaves unexplained the horrors of our history: the genocides, the wars, the historic evils of famine, disease, etc. We are watching World War II with Tom Hanks, replete with footage from destroyed cities, corpses strewn across battlefields, and the ultimate horrors of the death camps of "the final solution." We also watched Ken Burns' series on the American Civil War with its own cast of chaos and mayhem. Would a just and loving god who hears our prayers and can intervene on our behalf permit all that? I would hope not. But, still, I do not believe that those unattended horrors of history obviate the value of prayer - or something like it.

When we are beset by "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" we tend to find comfort in conversation, in sharing our fears and frustrations with those who might provide some sort of solace. And who better than God? Well, as noted above, her track record for intervention, rescue, solace and reconciliation is not that great.

So, as an alternative, let me share some thoughts about a common phrase I encounter in one of my favorite mystery series - The Vatican Secret Archives Mysteries, by Gary McAvoy in which the protagonist is a priest and the secret son of the Pope. It is a excellent, enjoyable, well-crafted mystery series. Take a look.

But most germane to this post is the common phrase from the series - "pray on it." When the plot becomes twisted and complex the strategy is often to "pray on it." Which in more common parlance is "to think about it" but with the implied assistance of a higher power. Which, with my reluctant dismissal of a attentive interventionist deity, comes to mean - to me - a reflective internal dialogue with a "listening entity." An "le."

But this prayer-like dialogue goes beyond the more mundane activity of simply "talking to yourself." One needs to assume that the "le" knows everything that you know, and is better at bringing important connections to the conversation - and hence actually, sort of, knows more than you. So in the conversation with the "le" we are forced to examine the legitimacy of our beliefs with this more intelligent version of ourselves. We need to "come clean" with the "le" to a degree that we might never share with those outside our head and heart.

I have recently, perhaps as a result of those horrific video images, felt compelled to add "compassionate" to my self-talk partner. So it becomes "a compassionate listening entity" or "cle" or "Seelea" in casual conversation, as in "Seelea, keep an eye on those I love." But adding those requests to the conversation, brings us back to the issue of an "interventionist" entity. Can Seelea really keep an eye on those I love? No, I don't think Seelea can intervene in their lives, any more than an interventionist god could have prevented Auschwitz or Gettysburg. But what Seelea can bring to the conversation is a reminder for me to keep those loved ones in my mind and consider how I might "keep an eye on them", how I might be a positive, but not intrusive, element in their lives.

Which sort of brings me to the notion of groups "praying for" a list of congregants. Rather than just defaulting to the offhand "Well, it can't do any harm" response, I like to think there might, even in the absence of an interventionist deity, actually be a positive impact of such prayer - if the object of the prayers knows that there are prayers being directed to their well-being. 

 Why? Because there is ample evidence that "attitude" can play a significant role in life. According to The National Institutes of Health:

"A person's attitude profoundly shapes their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. A positive, optimistic mindset is directly linked to enhanced immune responses, lower stress hormone levels, and greater cardiovascular health. Conversely, chronic negativity or a defeatist attitude can perpetuate a cycle of poor health and reduced resilience which is directly linked to poorer immune responses, higher stress hormone levels, and reduced cardiovascular health."

So if you know that there are a bunch of people out there "praying for you," odds are that knowledge would contribute to "A positive, optimistic mindset" and the benefits associated with that mindset.

So Seelea and I, both, would wish to leave you with best wishes for a positive, optimistic mindset. :-)