"Prayer Three"
Source and Spirit of Life:
It is said: “If they knew how we felt inside, They would not act that way outside; But then, if we knew how they felt inside, We would not mind ‘so much’ the way they act outside. Why don’t we try turning ourselves Inside out?”
How would one pray about that?
Slowly, and with thought and feeling, we would peel away the layers of protection around ourselves to reach the center of the self.
We find, first, a layer of status (of position). We remove it, carefully, so as not to tear it, for it will go back on again. Next there is a layer of “failure,” of “fear,” kept as a guard against disclosure.
And then a layer of pretense—armor against the pretense of others, or is it a mere shield of defense against anyone who might intrude upon the soul.
Unpeeling the layers, we may be stopped for a time by that part of the child still in us: the unchildlike part of the child high-strung from self-pity and unreasonable clinging.
But slowly, layer upon layer is pulled away,
Until there it is—the center,
The genuine person at the core;
Now unprotected and unmasked and beautiful, tender and strong at once, blinking in the surprise and
unfamiliar light of recognition,
Ready to emerge if encourage, if allowed.
This one is no weakling to be shut up and set about with barriers. Eternity knows the strength of authenticity. We would bring it out with trust, with desire to be kind, with love the way the strongest families love.
God help us to be ourselves.
Amen.
