I had never seen a meteor shower before the recent Leonid “meteor storm” (as it was described on NASA’s web site). So when it was announced that there would not be another as spectacular as this one for a hundred years or so, I decided to take action. Now taking action in this case meant going against my nature, as it entailed getting out of bed at 4:30 in the morning. This shows you how much I really wanted to see this meteor shower. Sister Elizabeth and I met downstairs and crept outside to watch the celestial display. Unfortunately, because of the full moon and the city lights, there was not much to see from our yard, so we got in the car, and off we headed straight out highway 20, then right at the sign pointing to Cross Creek. We pulled off the road at a spot where there was a clear view of the sky but where the trees behind us provided a shield from most of the moonlight.
Even for a night person who struggles to be alert at morning prayer, it was worth the effort. We counted at least 80 meteors during the half hour we stood beneath the sky watching. Afterwards I reflected on what had been required and the similarities to what is needed for prayer.
1. Being there. This may sound obvious, but it is the first and probably the most important requirement. I had never seen a meteor shower before because I had never gotten out of bed, driven to a dark spot, and stood there under the night sky.
2. Finding a spot where artificial light doesn’t drown out the beauty. Our contemporary life surrounds us with external stimuli, all of which compete for our attention. Just as we had to find a location away from city lights and the moon in order to view the meteor shower, it is helpful to find a location (in our hearts as well as a physical spot) where our focus toward God is not unduly interrupted by what society thinks of as “light.”
3. Waiting. There were times when nothing much was going on (nothing, that is, that we could see), but if we had left, we would have missed something splendid.
4. Paying attention. No matter how many meteors are flaming above my head, if I am discussing the topic of my next talk or what to get at the grocery story in the morning, I will not notice them.
5. Letting our eyes adjust to the dark. Meteor watching involves being willing to stand quietly in the dark, and it requires a different kind of seeing from our ordinary, daily vision. In prayer, we learn a new way of looking both through our own faithfulness and through the help of those who have gone before us in the spiritual life.
Nevertheless, it is not our effort which makes prayer happen, any more than Sister Elizabeth and I made the Leonid meteor shower happen by being there, by choosing a conducive location, by waiting, by paying attention, or by letting our eyes adjust to the dark. But without these, we would probably still be wondering why so many people stand in awe before the wonder of meteors streaking across the sky.
The sun shall no longer be
your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
give light to you by night;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.Your sun shall no more go down,
or your moon withdraw itself;
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall be ended.
(Isaiah 60:19-20)