Strange Prayers for Strange Times

Strange times call for strange measures.

Theologians have historically tried to communicate what cannot be said. As Paul Tillich argued, “The words which are used most in religion are also those whose genuine meaning is also completely lost.” Only through lingustic resurrection—finding new, if controversial, ways to talk about and to God—can we address our strange circumstances to the divine. Just as particle physicists use highly unusual scientific language (“quark,” “charm,” even “strangeness” itself), our prayers may need to be lifted in bizarre voices. For “in the beginning was the neologism” (and the fact that the phrase is a Googlewhack merely proves its deeper truth beyond human ken).

Note that the strange prayers in this book are not so strange as to be labeled “glossolalia.”

Before combining strange prayers with strange fasting, strange thanksgiving, or strange candles, consult with your spiritual advisor.