Look, listen, touch anything anywhere at any time — suddenly we are in contact with an extraordinary universe beyond our comprehension. That extravagant domain contains more than billions of galaxies. It also includes symbols, numbers, words, ideas, and dreams, all just as real as quantum particles and trips to the dentist. Our universe also includes fantasies, fears, and fictions, nebulous as they may be. All of this would overwhelm us if we did not have multiple defenses in place, fine filters that just let in what we can handle. We see, hear, and feel just enough. Blessed are those who can let more in and not go crazy. They may experience what we do not, see things we do not. Yes, they may be imagining things. Then again…
Photo of four women in black descending and ascending the back stairway of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., on January 2, 2017. Photo Prayer 2026-14. Photo copyright 2017; text, 2026 by Danny Nelson Schweers.
Click here to see the reflection that inspired this prayer, “What An Extraordinary Day!”