“The Language of the Heart”, Rev. John Manwell, with Rev. Jennifer Ryu
Many in our tradition have abandoned the practice of prayer. To whom would we pray? And why, if ours is a religion of reason? It’s often a troublesome issue for Unitarian Universalists. Yet prayer is not just about asking, but about listening, and reflecting. We can draw strength from it, and find ourselves changed. At its best, it’s a conversation with something experienced deep within ourselves, whether or not there is any God “out there” who’s listening. As A. Powell Davies titled one of his books, prayer is “the language of the heart.” We don’t have to understand how it works, let alone resolve the mysteries of the universe, in order to pray.
Rev. Manwell is interim co-minister at the Norfolk UU Church.