the 'invisible snow leopard'
"Maybe it's better if there are some things that we don't see" - George Schaller ( American biologist and conservationist)
Schaller was talking about the snow leopard in this case but it got me thinking about religious practise and it's visibility.
For centuries, it has been traditional for people to worship and pray together. In communities this would have been very visible. With church attendances much lower though, it seems that some 'religious' people try to make up for this by 'amplifying' prayer .. making it more visible or spectacular, almost like a show.
Although this wasn't the reason that the Desert fathers and mothers headed to the desert, it is almost certain that they found that the depth and quality of their prayer was deeper and more 'profound' when praying in solitude.
Like the tree in the forest, we can ask if a prayer is said but heard by no-one, is it really a prayer? I would say that the answer to that is a definite yes. When we pray, we should not be praying to show others how religious etc we are. That is not their purpose. In fact, if we pray silently, no-one is going to hear us anyway. It is sometimes said that it is not us who prays, but God who prays within us. This is one of the points of silent prayer; it allows God to pray within us without being mixed with our 'babbling' prayers.
I've just realised that this blog might sound a little confused as I am tired, but hopefully it is food for thought anyway. Hopefully, normal service will be resumed soon.