Many religious people believe God makes himself known to us. He does this through different types of revelation. The word revelation is connected with the word 'reveal'. When we reveal something, we show it. For example, we reveal our feelings by our actions or our expressions; we reveal aspects of personality to people we trust, perhaps sharing with them our dreams, our successes and our disappointments. But revelation involves a risk, since when we reveal something we very often expect a reaction, and we may not get one, or at least not the reaction we wanted.

Religious people think God reveals himself in a variety of ways. He reveals himself through prayer, through worship, through religious text, and through nature. When a person believes they have encountered God their experience is unique to them - they develop their own personal relationship with God based on their impression of him. Some people feel God has revealed himself as awesome and powerful; others believe he has revealed himself as gentle and kind. What is important to remember is that people believe they have really experienced God and this almost always affects their lives.

There are two main types of revelation - general revelation and special revelation. General revelation is God being revealed through the things around us in an indirect way. For instance, religious people believe God is revealed through nature or through people who are very religious. Special revelation is God being revealed through particular events. Here the revelation is direct, for instance, through a direct personal experience of God or through a miracle.

We will look at both general and special revelation from the point of view of believers. You will be asked to consider your own opinions about such revelations, and to think about whether they are 'real' or whether they exist only in the mind of the believer. Whatever opinions you arrive at, you should remember that revelation to a believer is a very real experience.

Think about your closest friend. Write about three aspects of your personality which you are prepared to 'reveal' to your friend. Revelation depends on trust. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Think about ways we reveal things about ourselves both subconsciously (without meaning to) and consciously (deliberately) e.g. through body - language, facial expressions, clothes, attitude and behaviour. Present the results to the class, explaining your ideas using examples.



PRAYER

One of the most obvious ways to reveal your personality is through the spoken word. We initially get to know people by talking with them, and the more we talk the more we find out. In a religious sense, talking to God is called prayer, and is the way in which believers communicate with God. Prayer can be a group experience where a specific person (e.g. a priest or rabbi) leads the prayer on behalf of others, but it can also be a completely private experience. It is an opportunity for believers to tell God the things that are on their mind. For example, they may request God to provide them with their needs, they my unburden guilt and sorrow by telling God what they have done and asking him for forgiveness, or they may simply thank God for what he has done. If prayer is an exercise in communication, it might seem puzzling that very often it takes place in total silence.



REFLECTIONS

Try this exercise.

Firstly, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Breathe slowly and focus all your attention on your breath as it draws in and out. Spend a few moments doing this until your mind is as relaxed as possible. Try at this point to empty your mind of all thoughts and distractions by focusing completely on your breathing. Now call to mind all the things you are grateful for in your life. Try to include as much as possible here. Think not only about you possessions, but about people and experiences too.

Next, bring to mind all the things in life that you need, and why you need them. What difference would it make to your life if these needs were met? The next part of this might be quite difficult. Think about some of the people in your life who you have upset or offended. How have your actions or words affected them? Imagine now that you are offering them a sincere apology, and that their reaction is one of forgiveness.

Finally, concentrate once again on your breathing. Be aware of the people in the room around you, and when you are ready, quietly open your eyes.