Phenomenology of Prayer

Phenomenology of Prayer: Jill Robbins “Who Prays?”

Admiration as Humiliation

“In expression to another being, in the language we use, can remove us from the daily fight against egoism; acknowledging each other creates a space for transcendence.” (p.33)

In class we discussed the concept of admiration in the context of bestowing praise and affirmation on others as humiliation.

Before our discussion, the first thing that came to mind when reflecting on my encounters with the exchange of praise-giving would not be the hierarchy that it entails. Since then, however, I have reflected on it often.

If the expression of admiration enforces a hierarchy between the praise-giver and the recipient, then this explains why there are multiple reasons for hesitation.

One reason might be because the praise-giver has already built up such a reverence for the would-be recipient as a hero or larger-than-life, and they experience the feeling that they are unworthy of even offering up what they consider a pathetic attempt at praise. In the context of Hollywood and the music industry, this is often referred to as being “star struck.”

People I have consulted on this topic have voiced that often they feel incompetent; they simply cannot find the right words to express the depth of their admiration, so they discontentedly resolve to allow the person to go unpraised, to their own dismay.

Another reason that I have been contemplating, in light of our class discussion, is that element of self-preservation innate to the human soul. If the raising up of one, by the laws of logic, requires the lowering of another, then the expression of admiration imposes a potential threat to the praise-giver’s standing.

This idea is starkly contradictory to our natural tendencies and inborn desire to maintain full occupation of the inner circle “I.” The removal of ourselves from the center of our universe, that of kenosis, is central to the Christian faith. John the Baptist testifies about the then coming Messiah: “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30 NIV)

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 that “love is not self-serving.”

If outward expression is a means of kenosis, then it is matter of choosing to love through the calling we have to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).