“For me, a book that I read within the past few years that really got my heart stirring was “A Prayer Journal” by Flannery O’Connor. Before I get into that…first some back story on how I first found out about this great writer. Back around 1986 I was part of a group called SNAG – Sunday Night Arts Group. This was led by John Wroe and his wife, Jo from the UK. They were in the US for 2 years, taking classes at Union Theological Seminary in the north side of Richmond while also working at St Matthews Episcopal Church in the west end of Richmond. We would meet on Sunday nights in their apartment looking at the arts through the eyes of faith. This was right around the time when U2 recorded the Joshua Tree album. US writers from the south (especially Flannery O’Connor) had a big influence on that particular recording and I decided I needed to find out more about her. Two years ago, I got O’Connor’s “A Prayer Journal” for a Christmas present. During the time that this was written, Flannery was about 20 at a writer’s workshop at her college. Below is a snippet from one of her first prayers in the journal.
Dear God, I cannot love Thee the way I want to. You are the slim crescent of a moon that I see and my self is the earth’s shadow that keeps me from seeing all the moon. The crescent is very beautiful and perhaps that is all one like I am should or could see; but what I am afraid of, dear God, is that my self shadow will grow so large that it blocks the whole moon, and that I will judge myself by the shadow that is nothing. I do not know you God because I am in the way. Please help me to push myself aside . . . Please help me to get down under things and find where you are (Prayer Journal, 3-4).
I just love the image that she creates in her prayer…it’s so very real. I highly encourage all to get to know O’Conner’s work. Flannery O’Connor: The Complete Stories, The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O’Connor, Flannery O’Connor: Images of Grace by Fickett and Gilbert along with her Prayer Journal are great ways to start swimming in the deep end. Jump on in…the water’s fine.”
-Billy Brothers (NHPC member)