Prostrating to a Paradox

Muslims prostrating during prayer
During the Lenten season, Eastern Orthodox Christians perhaps do more bowing and prostrating than at any other time during the Christian calendar.

I looked up the word Prostrate or Prostration in the dictionary, and it defined it as I might expect:

pros·tra·tion (pr-strshn) n.

1. a. The act of prostrating oneself.

b. The state of being prostrate.

But I was "surprised" by the second definition.

2. Total exhaustion or weakness; collapse.

From: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000

For Eastern Orthodox Christians this past Sunday was dedicated to the veneration of the Cross. As we enter the church we prostrate ourselves before the symbol of the Cross - we "collapse" before it and surrender our own will, and failing strength, and we symbolically surrender our weaknesses and failures to be transformed by the power of Christ.

SIGNPOST TO VICTORY

As the Sunday that falls in the mid-point of Lent - the Cross is "placed" there to serve as a kind of sign-post on the continuing journey to Pascha. It serves as a reminder of the final destination of the cycle of time in Christian practice - that of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and renewal of all of life.

In Orthodoxy the Cross is seen as a sign of victory rather than defeat. It is paradoxically called the "Life-Giving Cross," for through it Jesus conquered death and brought new life to His creation.

THE PLACE OF PROSTRATION

Christians in America and Europe of the 21st Century often overlook the Eastern origins of our faith, and can perhaps have a deeper appreciation of it by looking at the practices of other cultures. For example, seeing Muslims prostrating in prayer (see picture) can be disconcerting or uncomfortable if we think of it as "foreign" - however, this is a common practice among Eastern Orthodox Christians, Hindus and Buddhists as well. In fact, if we look at the issue more deeply - we might want to consider that we Westerners are the "foreign" ones, when it comes to our practices in worship!

In Islam - worshippers gather in a Mosque - which is derivative of an Arabic word "masjid," which means “place of prostration.”

Muslims gather to prostrate, or surrender themselves, to God - as they pray. Most Western Christians, on the other hand, when they gather in Church - tend more towards entertainment, rather than surrendered worship!

WORTHY OF PRAISE OR WORTHY TO PRAISE

Yesterday as I drove home from Church I turned on a "Christian" radio station that was playing a very popular "contemporary worship song." Here's a sample of the lyrics:

"Holy, my God
You are worthy of all my praise
Holy, my God
You are worthy of all my praise"

At first glance these words sound so beautiful and right - but as we look deeper you can see that in reality they place the emphasis on the wrong subject - to illustrate my point consider this:
imagine if you told your child that they were worthy of your love. What would you be REALLY saying? Doesn't it sound like the child should be grateful that you love them? Why would God be pleased to hear that we consider Him worthy of worship - who are we to think so highly of ourselves???

The whole attitude of worship that prostrating signifies is one of acknowledging that God has made us worthy to worship Him.

The message of Christianity is one of triumph over death - when Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him - He is not asking us to follow Him into suffering and death - He is leading us through the suffering and beyond death - the "life-giving" Cross is a paradox but it points to the fulfillment of all things -

I do not have the strength to overcome my failures and shortcomings by myself - so I prostrate myself or "collapse" before the Cross.

Now the flaming sword no longer guards the gates of Eden;
it has mysteriously been quenched by the wood of the Cross!
The sting of death and the victory of hell have been vanquished;
for You, O my Savior, have come and cried to those in hell:
"Enter again into paradise."

- Kontakion for the "Veneration of the Cross"