"the prayer"

Pete and I visited the Cantor Arts Museum at Stanford on Sunday. We didn't get to go to church, but we did see a collection of Rodin scultpures. The only other Rodin collection I've seen is at the Legion of the Palace of Honor in San Francisco. Sunday, though, sitting under a tree on artist Bruce Beasley's bench looking out upon a dozen Rodin sculptures the word "profundity" came to mind. Why is it that his art is so moving to me? He's a GENIUS. This particular piece shown in the picture is called "The Prayer" ... it provoked an imagining of a small French woman kneeling in prayer ... that gesture that is familiar to some of us, that has kind of gone by the wayside... I experienced a little communion with her! Her kneeling, for me, acknowledges that there is great dignity in acknowledging that God is God and we are not. The fact that this kneeler is not quite upright, and seems to be in mid-kneel adds energy/movement to the work. She appears to be young, still strong, and still she is prayerful. What might she be praying for? Somehow, this structure conveys more about the life of the Spirit for me than do images of saints on holy cards. Right after I took this picture, a young family appeared with two little ones. The 4 yr old girl wanted to climb on the statue, and grandpa seized the opportunity to take a picture. Dad ended up picking the little girl up and placing her so that her head filled the void on the statue. She was all smiles and chatter in her pink and green party dress. Her little brother picked up gravel from the ground and threw it at the prayer. After the encounter with the statue was finished and the toddlers scampered off, I glimpsed the mother gently brushing the gravel off of the pedestal beneath the prayer. Reminded me of the times I have knelt in church with little boys climbing under and over, coloring in coloring books on the pew behind me. No matter what, keep on praying... (I think St. Paul said something like that... pray without ceasing?) Auguste Rodin, merci!