O GOD of dry bones, be with us.
O God of the silence, be with us.
When there are no words, be with us.
When there is only the time in between, be with us. Amen.
– Susan Henry-Crowe
“The Time in Between”
The Upper Room Disciplines 2005
I seem to have lost the ability to pray fancy eloquent prayers these days. At times, I wonder whether I have "backslidden" when compared to those who are able to hurl strong absolute words of intercession. And yet, deep down I don’t think I’m far away from God, or lost faith. It’s just that as the environment changes around me, I find myself re-framing how I relate to God, and the surrounding world through the lens of Faith – whatever mustard seed little faith I have left.
People say we have lost faith in institutions, and organizations. But then sooner or later, we will lose faith in fellow human beings, and then we might even say we’ve lost faith in ourselves, and the final logical step is simply to be honest and say we have lost faith in God. But strangely, this God of dry bones and silence doesn’t operate with our rules. He persists in re-entering our consciousness and deep recesses of our hearts even if it’s simply beyond words and only a "presence."
And then, the prayers offered from our lips arising from the barrenness of our hearts, are simple unadorned prayers, words or even sighs which convey all that is needed without any fluff or fancy. It’s no longer about quantity or even quality … it’s simply about spiritual hunger and the need to breath and live no matter what.
Be with us … I can still say that even when I’m most exhausted or drained.
Be with us …