Expressing Peace. Seeing. 14.
Seeing Peace in Prayer Bubbles
Seeing Peace is not so hard, with a bit of effort.
Often at church we hear, right before a prayer, “Let us close our eyes….”.
As a spiritual leader I often said, right before a prayer, “Let us close our eyes…”.
I would guess the reason for closed-eye praying is one or more the these:
- Respect (subservience) to God
- Bringing our attention inward
- Avoiding visual distractions
- Centuries of tradition
At times, closing our eyes may be exactly what our praying wants and needs. But probably not always.
Consider the awesome beauty of the world outside us. Oceans, mountains, forests, blue skies, classical sculpture, architecture and much, much more offer visual beauty. And when we look closely, we can find that beauty in things not on the Most Beautiful 100 lists. A pebble, a crushed paper cup, an abandoned automobile, and a muddy sneaker offer beauty–if we look closely enough.
Praying with our eyes closed shuts out so much for which we can give thanks, so much that can inspire our consciousness, so much that can allow us deeper insight of our Spirit.
Edward Hays in Pray All Ways makes clear that “We need to learn how to let what we see change from distraction to devotion.”
Open-eyed praying allows us to notice, to attend, to appreciate the beauty and the glory of what we see. By seeing with devoted eyes we build our ability to see Peace.
Seeing Peace validates our knowing the Truth of creation. Seeing Peace expands our awareness of All that is. Seeing Peace lets us realize again and again our connection with Spirit.
Divine Artist,
the canvas that is our world
shows infinite beauty: majestic and tiny,
bold and silent, multi-colored and gray.
We look and love
and with each glance see Peace
in your creations.
We scan and stare
and make the time to find
intricate marks of Power and Presence.
We trace the outlines with our eyes
wide open to enjoy All That Is
and that we are One of That.
We thank you, Spirit, and pray with you
that we may see much more.
And so it is.
Amen. Amen.
Enjoy Peace. Express Peace.
RSS - Posts