The Braco Gaze
A good friend of mine has been continually posting about Braco and his gaze, which has caught my attention and my curiosity. After looking further into Braco's gaze (by way of research), there are two indisputable facts. First, there are people who are so convinced that there is something powerful and profound and wonderful going on that they line up to give him money to be gazed at and his reputation landed him a gig gazing at the UN. Second, there are a lot of people who think that he is a sham and giving him money to be gazed at is a huge waste of time and money. That being the case, reconciling these two divergent postures requires understanding something new about the nature of the human person and in light of that, understanding what is going on with his gaze.
So often in how we think, we see ourselves as a means to get something done. This cultural belief is so deeply rooted that when we ask the question of identity, "who are you?", the first response is often with what we do. It is true to say that I am a software engineer, and for most purposes, it is enough to say that I am a software engineer. Most of my day is spent writing software, and anyone who works with me can treat me like a software engineer, and all is well. The danger is that this becomes all that we are in our minds. The deep amazing awesome reality is that we're made for more than just serving a roll in society. Through our actions in society, we're made to see the fact that we are children of God and that only happens when we slow down and reflect on our experiences in some sort of silence. This silence is critical because it is in this silence that our conscience can nag us if we have done something wrong, or it is in silence that the quiet joy of an accomplishment gives satisfaction.
Now, how does this apply to Braco? Well, Braco serves as a focal point in the midst of a silent gaze. He has a calm, reassuring face that augments the silence, so that even a nagging conscience can be assuaged by seeing his reassurance that joy is what lives at the bottom of all silence. By assisting souls in the process of entering silence, there is actually something deep and profound going on - they're reconnecting with the place where all their actions come into the light of meaning and instead of drawing up noise, they're listening to hear about the meaning of their lives.
All that being the case, for the Christian, there is something seriously dangerous about this activity, and I can't recommend against it strongly enough. Ultimately, the danger is that Braco and his followers are ascribing power to his gaze, when all his gaze does is serve as a focal point to allow the soul to do something it was made to do with or without Braco's gaze. For the Christian, gazing at the wood of the Cross, or for the Catholic, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, should be the ultimate reassurance when entering into silence, because that reassurance is that Jesus Christ died so that our sins might die with him and that we might fulfill the purpose for which we were made - to gaze at the Most Holy Trinity for all eternity in Heaven, which is to partake of the beatific vision.
So often in how we think, we see ourselves as a means to get something done. This cultural belief is so deeply rooted that when we ask the question of identity, "who are you?", the first response is often with what we do. It is true to say that I am a software engineer, and for most purposes, it is enough to say that I am a software engineer. Most of my day is spent writing software, and anyone who works with me can treat me like a software engineer, and all is well. The danger is that this becomes all that we are in our minds. The deep amazing awesome reality is that we're made for more than just serving a roll in society. Through our actions in society, we're made to see the fact that we are children of God and that only happens when we slow down and reflect on our experiences in some sort of silence. This silence is critical because it is in this silence that our conscience can nag us if we have done something wrong, or it is in silence that the quiet joy of an accomplishment gives satisfaction.
Now, how does this apply to Braco? Well, Braco serves as a focal point in the midst of a silent gaze. He has a calm, reassuring face that augments the silence, so that even a nagging conscience can be assuaged by seeing his reassurance that joy is what lives at the bottom of all silence. By assisting souls in the process of entering silence, there is actually something deep and profound going on - they're reconnecting with the place where all their actions come into the light of meaning and instead of drawing up noise, they're listening to hear about the meaning of their lives.
All that being the case, for the Christian, there is something seriously dangerous about this activity, and I can't recommend against it strongly enough. Ultimately, the danger is that Braco and his followers are ascribing power to his gaze, when all his gaze does is serve as a focal point to allow the soul to do something it was made to do with or without Braco's gaze. For the Christian, gazing at the wood of the Cross, or for the Catholic, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, should be the ultimate reassurance when entering into silence, because that reassurance is that Jesus Christ died so that our sins might die with him and that we might fulfill the purpose for which we were made - to gaze at the Most Holy Trinity for all eternity in Heaven, which is to partake of the beatific vision.