Prayer is at the heart of being awake, aware and alive. The work of self-realization, of self-awareness is the work of individuation, to use Carl Jung’s term, which is also the work of articulation–of prayer–saying who we are and how it is with us, what is important to us and what we need in order to do what is ours to do within the context and circumstances of our life. We pray ourselves into being.
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Prayer is a form of hermeneutics, of seeing and saying, interpreting what’s what, what is happening, what is called for and what needs to be done in response here, now in each situation as it arises.

Hermes was the messenger of the Gods in the Greek Pantheon, the master of eloquence, interpretation, translation, explanation, right-seeing, right-saying, right-knowing right-doing- right-being. It is from the word “Hermes” that we get hermeneutic, seeing and interpreting the truth.

It is worth noting that the Roman name for Hermes is Mercury, which is also known as Quicksilfer–something that shifts, moves and changes quickly, such as the interpretation, translation and understanding of truth. Now it is like this and now it is like that, and which way is it? Truth is not a steady state of being, but a reflection of our perception of whats what and how things are here, now–which is constantly shifting and impossible to pin down, or pen up!

Truth evolves. What was a fact last week may not be a fact this week. This is the way things are and that is also the way things are. This is the heart of koans and paradoxes. In the Bible, Jesus says, “Love one another,” and “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And we think, “That’s clear.” And then Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids, with the wise bridesmaids telling the foolish bridesmaids (who did not bring enough oil for their lamps), “Who made me your caretaker? Go get your own oil!” And he tells the parable of the unjust land owner who paid workers the same amount of money for working different lengths of time throughout the day. And we wonder, “What happened to ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” The truth is not always what we think it. is.