A PRAYER OF REVERENCE

A PRAYER OF REVERENCE

When I lived in Brazil I took my mom and her friend to see Iguaçu Falls, the largest falls in the world. I’d become an expert by reading an article in National Geographic magazine. Surely, I thought, my guests would appreciate their good fortune in having me as their guide.

To reach the lookout point, you must walk a winding trail that leads through a forest. I used the time to give a nature report to my mom and her friend. I caught myself speaking louder and louder. Finally I was shouting above the roar. Even my mother would rather see the splendor than hear my description, so I shut up.

There are times when to speak is to violate the moment. When silence represents the highest respect. The word for such times is “reverence,” and the prayer for such times is “Hallowed be Thy name!”