On Prayer, Pt. Two

Imaging Prayer

I do not claim any special expertise in prayer. However, I have done some study in this area, and hope to share some of the fruit of that study. This past Sunday, a group of about ten people gathered to explore praying with images. These images may be exterior (i.e., an icon) or interior (i.e., one's imagination).

When using exterior images, one may use icons or other works of sacred art. There are some elements which make icons unique: icons are themselves created in an attitude of prayer. There is a very formal approach to the creation of an icon, which requires a lifetime of study. Many works of sacred art in the western canon were created in an attitude of prayer as well, but all icons were created with this attitude.
It must be remembered that these images are not an end in themselves. They are merely instruments we may use in our quest to commune with the divine. I think of icons as a sort of window on the divine. Just as we do not confuse a window for the tree we see through it, neither do we confuse an icon for the divine Other we seek.

The first method of using one's imagination comes from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. In this method, one reads a Biblical passage, then projects herself into that scene using her sensible imagination. Which is to say, the practitioner would imagine himself in the scene engaging all five senses.

The second method involves transferring the scene to the present. This practice is similar to St. Augustine's theological practice. Perhaps a description of this Sunday's session will be illustrative.

In most Protestant denominations, the Gospel reading for the Third Sunday of Advent was Luke 3:7-18. Take a moment to read this passage, which concerns the preaching of John the Baptist. For those who would project themselves into the scene I asked: What did John sound like? What did the river look like? Smell like? Was the crowd noisy or quiet? Imagine you are John the Baptizer — what are you feeling? Are you yelling or speaking normally?

For those who would transfer the scene to the present, I asked: who would John the Baptist be addressing today? Who are today's vipers and hypocrites? Where would he be preaching? What would he look like today?

I allowed five minutes for this exercise. The first person to share said he imagined John in downtown Detroit, preaching to the pimps, child pornographers, and bankers. The next person imagined himself in that time, and could hear John preaching. The person who especially touched my heart had pictured John as a variation on Saddam Hussein — she could see that sort of dedication inspiring good as well as evil.

Try this at home, and share your experience with a trusted friend or spiritual advisor. If so inclined, share your experience with me as well.

Next week — Physical Prayer.