“Prayer at/on the edge”

Come to the edge.
We might fall.
Come to the edge.
It’s too high!
COME TO THE EDGE!
And they came,
And he pushed,
And they flew.

Christopher Logue

Jesus lived on the edge of empire. He mingled with all-sorts from the in-crowds to the outcasts, but mostly with those in need. He spoke prophetic truth to power, but also withdrew frequently to the desert. What might living on the edge look like for us today?

Politics on the edge practises the art of the possible. It spends political capital on behalf of the common good and lift up those who are more vulnerable. For our part, citizenry on the edge is being unwilling to view the world in black and white, or live in an ideas bubble, or act out in tribes.

Research is typically on the edge, pushing the boundaries. But specialism over the centuries, while generating extraordinary discoveries and innovation, also led to blinkered thinking. So the tide is now turning towards research on a different set of edges involving cross-pollination between disciplines.

Agriculture and conservation on the edge recognise that the edges and margins where habitats meet generally foster greater biodiversity and productivity.

Churches on the edge are porous, going out and welcoming in. Churches where all are equally welcome and there are no barriers to entry or relationships or accessing God. Where it is OK to be on the edge, whether juggling questions of life and faith, or sitting at the back unsure about becoming known or joining.

Faith on the edge commits to dwelling in the fertile borderlands; persistently gazing on the mirror, however dim, and seeking the heart of things; being open to doubt and uncertainty; living in the questions and not being satisfied with glib answers; watching and waiting on the unfamiliar God at work, responding and following, imagining new possibilities, calling the community beyond the status quo into the unknown.

Prayer on the edge recognises the line running down the middle of our lives connecting our ordinary reality with its deeper roots. It is willing to go beyond the veil and plunge into those depths. It seeks time in silence, when we place our minds at the threshold of consciousness, and invite God to draw our being beyond into encounter, healing and transfiguration. Come to the edge. Fly.

see L. William Countryman, Living on the Border of the Holy
and Maggie Ross, Silence: A User’s Guide, Vol.1

-oOo-

This is one of a series of articles appearing in Exeter Cathedral’s monthly news, complementing the material I contributed to the “Explore Prayer” section of the Cathedral website. I hope you find them helpful.