ALLIGATORS AGAIN

 

Some folks, including myself, have said that the worldwide pandemic can help us realize our unity as one human race, because "we're all in the same boat." I sincerely hope that there's some truth in that idea. But recently I've noticed that the isolation demanded by Covid restrictions can have the opposite effect. The word "isolate" comes from the Latin word for "island." Be a good citizen and stay indoors, or if you have to go out then mask up and stay away from everyone else. 

So, we can easily start to turn inward in a bad sense, centering on ourselves and our needs, fears and frustrations. These days it takes more effort than usual, I think, to fight off the self-centeredness that our culture glorifies. It takes effort in order to stay connected with others with whom we usually could visit or share lunch with or hug. ("It's been a year since I've hugged my grandkids!")

I was thinking this morning about that kind of prayer that I've mentioned a couple of times (most recently in the post for Feb. 20, 2021), and which I call "stretching prayer." This prayer involves an earnest reaching out toward God, stretching ourselves -- and in the process leaving ourselves vulnerable. It is, you may remember, the kind of "earnest" prayer that Jesus prayed stretched out on the ground in the garden of Gethsemane, and which the early Christians used when praying for Peter while he was shackled in prison awaiting execution. Not only does this prayer intensify our relationship with God, but it draws us out of our self-centeredness and outward to the infinity of God's boundless love and mercy. It's a great antidote to our egocentric tendencies.   

When I pray earnestly for a brother or a good friend, or when I stretch myself out in thanksgiving or praise to God, my life is no longer about me, and my vision is turned outward toward loving God and "my neighbor as myself," widening my awareness to include all of creation.

Wouldn't this be a beautiful side effect of the pandemic if all of us were to cultivate this kind of urgent, earnest attitude in our prayer for the rest of our lives! It would also serve to keep us constantly aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters whom we might otherwise forget. 

Think of the two great commandments that we heard in the gospel earlier this week: to love God with
all our being, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. It seems to me that stretching prayer would be a great way to open ourselves to God's grace to accomplish both of these loves.