Semantics. The first word in your response is, “It”. What are you meaning when you say, “It”? Only later do you refer to “It” as a prayer or meditation – which admittedly, it is. All I did was give “It” a name in the context of asking people to view and enjoy “It”. Indeed, asking a cantor to set themselves in an appropriate state and then to proceed doing what they do for a living requires them to “perform”, present, become active, or whatever word fits. In this case her action is indeed for God in the context of liturgy. It is worshiping. She is doing what she does, regardless of what you wish to call it, for God in the spirit of worship. The action requires a descriptor for people to process it and understand. I suppose I could have asked people to tune in and watch this beautiful prayer, or meditation, as you called it.
However, as a Catholic who respects a more traditional liturgy, even I think you’re a little quick to pull the “admonishment trigger” on this one. Granted, we shouldn’t attend mass and stand and applause while yelling “bravo” while declaring what a beautiful performance some violinist put on. Nor should we sit there and get lost in the person of the musician while forgetting the prayer and becoming distracted enough to forget about why we’re there in the first place. But this was isolated and posted on Youtube. Trying to draw people’s attention to the performance, or “demonstration” as I later called it, was simply an effort to direct them to experience this beauty and to be moved by it. Whether or not it goes well with you, this was, nevertheless…art; art in liturgy. And art is a very beautiful means for encountering spirituality. And I respect your call for giving all the attention to God, for God, respectfully, within the liturgy. Her performance, or prayer, or meditation, is meant to move people toward God. There is a time for policing and a time to be moved. I felt strongly enough about this demonstration to call people’s attention to it. That is…to be moved…by this great work of art…put in action for God.
