The Phenomenology of Prayer 1

In The Phenomenology of Prayer, it describes prayer as a form of kenosis or "self-emptying." A section of the book compares empathy and incarnation. In a general sense, we view empathy as the ability to put oneself in someone else's shoes. The book phrases empathy as "a feeling of the world in and through another person." However, in order to achieve empathy, it requires a "self-emptying and an assumption of the other." When reading about empathy and how it compels humans to restrain from harming others, it reminded me of the stories on the AT. In class, we talked about trail angels and the established sense of community among the thru-hikers. Trail angels and the community wouldn't be present without empathy from others in which both groups understood the challenges a hiker goes through thus forming a connection or bond between them. The beauty of hiking is that it can be selfish and selfless in which the individual searches for personal answers and finds a community greater than themselves. While kenosis is essential for prayer, it also seems to occur while hiking as seen through the empathy of trail angels and the community.