Tuesday

 Five Senses

It's easy to forget the wonder of our capacity to hear, and finally, with more people singing than saying prayers, I thought it a good idea to try and link the two.

Everyone seems to be having babies at the moment. Helpless little bundles with out of control bodies, they will need wiped and changed for months, and washed and clothed and fed for years. And while their eyes may goggle attempting to bring the world into focus, they can apparently distinguish between one language and another, even at a few weeks old.

We have an extraordinary capacity to distinguish between sounds. We can pick out one instrument from an orchestra or hear a voice in a crowd, and so we use language to communicate subtle understandings. It is part of our human nature. In creation God gave Adam the Names of things.

So while your eyes are dealing with the world around you, your head can be filled with words quite unrelated to what is going on. When I pray, I try to control the words rushing through my head by reciting words taken from the Qur'an, but any words of praise for God are OK. As part of my prayers I also recite "God hears whoever sings His praises".