We all seek ways of strengthening our relationship with God. We will do this through prayer as communication is our human way of developing any relationship. In our everyday relationships, we even have special or pet names that we use when addressing that special person. We often do this by shortening someone’s Christian name. I am Michael, but to some I am Mike.
We find this, to some degree, in the Bible. A very obvious one in the gospels is when we are asked to call Jesus the Good Shepherd. This conjures up warm, beautiful thoughts of Jesus and the help he wants to give us. Maybe it is just using the name –Jesus, Son of God, the Christ, Our Saviour, the Chosen One, my brother, son of Mary, Christ the King, the Miracle Worker, the Prophet and so on. I am sure for many it is as simple as saying Jesus my friend. Whatever way or name we use puts our relationship on a whole different level of communicating and certainly for asking for help.
If we have a name that is personal for us, it certainly opens the door to our prayer. Once we enter into this dialogue, maybe there are other images or scripture quotes that help us. One obvious image that we use in our parish and has become very special to us, is the Palm Cross. If it was made from the cedar wood from the old front door of our church, it is even more special.
I visited a lady today who is dying and although she was not capable of talking or much else she was holding her palm cross in her hand. This example also tells us that sometimes we don’t have to use words.
Something else I offer people to use in their prayer is the image from Matt 11:28 when Jesus talks about bringing his yoke along and help carry our burden. When we don’t seem to have much else to say we can say – Jesus just bring your yoke and help me carry the burden – the pain, the cross, the sorrow, the depression. The yoke will say it all.
Another idea is taken from Deut 32:1-12 “He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye.” I was reading about this, and a person made the connection that ‘God is like an Eyelid’ Moses praises the way God takes care of his people. Verse 10 says that God shields and protects His people, guarding them “as the apple of his eye.”
But the word we translate apple, literally means pupil. And what encircles and guards the pupil? The eyelid, of course! God is like the eyelid, which instinctively protects the tender eye. The eyelid guards the eye from danger, and by blinking helps remove dirt or dust. It keeps sweat out of the eye. It lubricates the eyeball, keeping it healthy. It closes, allowing rest.
As I consider the picture of God as an eyelid, I couldn’t help but thank God for the many metaphors He’s given us to help us understand His love for us. When we close our eyes at night and open them in the morning, we can think of God, and praise Him for His tender protection and care for us.
Fr Michael Morley
Parish Priest
5 December 2018
