Sunday, April 12, 2015
Running and Prayer Are Not Good For You
Many people don’t
like running. When you ask them “why” they will tell you they tried it and
found it monotonous, unrewarding, an all- around drag. If you then probe deeper
you discover that they have, for some time, attempted to go out once or twice a
week, for a mile or two, and come back exhausted, in pain, without any positive
experience whatsoever. And then you understand…they have run enough to feel out
of shape, but not enough to get into shape and reap the benefits of feeling
good. Any experienced runner will tell you that any less than 3-4 times weekly,
for 30 minutes minimum, and ideally with some workouts that really push you,
will just leave you frustrated, demotivated, and possibly injured. But if you follow
such a regime, pretty soon you will notice a chance in form, your breathing
will become adjusted to running and you will begin to enjoy at least some of
your runs, especially when the weather is nice and you are well rested. Long before
becoming a serious runner you will turn into a recreational runner who, when
he/she skips a workout or two begins missing it.
In other words most people who don’t like running have not
really tried it. Of course, there are those whose physique just is not made for
running or whose mental make-up cannot get used to this solitary form of
exercise. But most people who don’t like
running have not really tried it, and now they are coming up with
excuses to justify their lack of really trying, such as “it’s not good for your
joints” etc.
Recently an Austrian newspaper (http://derstandard.at/2000013871471/Fuer-68-Prozent-hat-die-Kirche-keine-Glaubwuerdigkeit-mehr)
conducted an “Easter survey”, seeking to understand what Austrians believe. One
statement that interviewees had to “agree” or “disagree” with was “Even if
there were a God, human beings would not be able to know him”. 56% agreed, 23 %
disagreed (the rest “was not sure”). In other words almost two thirds deny the
reality of what has traditionally been called “prayer” i.e. the activity of
human beings conversing with God. I have no way of knowing the reasons for such
a position, but one argument for this view which I often encounter is “I have
tried it and it does not work”. When you probe more deeply you find out that
what they mean is that before an exam they cried out to some unknown being for
help, or as their grandmother lay dying they shouted their protest heavenward,
and in neither case they felt that anybody responded. And so now they believe that “prayer does not
work”, that “there is no god above” or even that “prayer is not good for you,
since it deceives you into the notion that somebody cares about you”.
In my view that kind
of prayer is like running two times a week: you know how “out of shape you are”, how little you have cared for
your soul and now that you are trying to formulate a prayer you don’t even
know who to direct it to. But talk to an experienced prayerful person and they
will tell you how much prayer makes a difference in their life: they look
forward to their regular, even daily spiritual workouts and they find
themselves out of sorts if they miss one. Of course there are ultra-runners,
who clock 150 miles a week and seemingly do nothing else: they are not the
norm, and only serve as inspiration, not as role models. Similarly there are “ultra-prayers”,
men and women who do little else but pray, for example monks and nuns. But
those are not our models, nor is their lifestyle what most of us can or would aspire
to. But to enjoy the benefits of prayer
you need to do it regularly, develop a routine and thus build up muscles that
support such practices. Otherwise it can be outright dangerous, especially if
you get older.
So why not consider giving it a serious try, now that we are
in the Easter season: find yourself a coach, carve out 15 minutes 5 days a week
and see what you think in a month. Maybe you will turn out like those who
absolutely cannot run, fine. Then prayer really isn’t for you. But maybe you will
actually develop adrenaline rushes, have spiritual experiences and discover
what millions of people have done over the centuries: not only does God exist,
but it is possible to communicate with him. That is what the traditional Easter
greeting means “Christ is risen”. Happy Easter!
# posted by tino @ Sunday, April 12, 2015 
