My friend Diana sent me this quotation from Barbara Brown Taylor’s book, The Preaching Life. Barbara is an American Episcopalian priest and one of today’s most outstanding preachers. Her latest book is Always a Guest published in 2020. It is a collection of stories and sermons of faith, grace, humour and hope.
In this short extract she speaks to the human condition of our times and contrasts fear with belief and points us to Jesus to encourage us to let go of fear and embrace life, learning to love it, whatever difficulties we face, because He is with us.
Fear is a small cell with no air in it and no light. It is suffocating inside and dark. Belief is something else altogether. It is like a rope bridge over a scenic gorge, sturdy but swinging back and forth, with plenty of light and plenty of air but precious little to hang onto except the stories you have heard: that it is the best and only way across, that it is possible, that it will bear your weight. All you have to do is believe in the bridge more than you believe in the gorge, but fortunately you do not need to believe in it all by yourself. There are others who believe it with you. They have crossed the bridge in front of you and are waiting on the other side.
It takes a lot of courage to be a human being, but if Jesus was who he said he was, the bridge will hold. Believing in him will not put us in charge or get us what we want or even save us from all harm, but believing in him, we may gradually lose our fear of our lives. Whatever the human condition we find ourselves in, we may finally learn to live it, maybe even to love it, if only because we believe he lives and loves it too.
My friend Joyce has sent me another picture ponder.
The words are a famous quotation from the teaching of Meister Eckhart.
Eckhart von Hochheim was born about 1260 and lived until 1320. He was born in Tambach in Germany and was called by God to be theologian, philosopher and mystic. He became a Dominican monk.
In saying that Thank You should be at the heart of our praying he is telling us that it is a way of receiving all the goodness, love and grace which God gives us and the Salvation He brings to us in the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ. So our Thank You is a turning to God with gratitude. In the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives,we place ourselves within God’s loving friendship.
This also takes many Christians right to the heart of the Eucharist which is our central act of Thanksgiving (that’s what the word means) which keeps us connected and close to God and, of course, as with the squirrel, fed!
However, and in whatever state we turn towards God; whatever mood, perplexity, uncertainty draws us and, it must also be said, whatever joy and hope and celebration and excitement draws us, if those two words – Thank You – are on our lips and in our soul then it is, as Meister Eckhart says, all we need. It is enough.
The Squirrel is more grateful than it may seem to us! Squirrel’s love to forrage for food but they don’t always seem to show gratitude to us! But I do believe they are very grateful to God. Have you ever watched them chasing around the garden, up and down trees, playing with each other? They are capricious, joyful, and one of life’s great celebrators. That’s why I just know they live close to God and are thankful.
Thank You Joyce for sharing this Picture Ponder with us.
[Mr. G]
Postscript
Since posting this last night I’ve come across a ‘Thank You’ squirrel so I thought she ought to be included as further proof that squirrels really do know how to say ‘Thank You’
It’s funny how you end up in a particular church or denomination. When I was a boy the Catholic priest visited my grandfather who was ill, to give him communion. I had hoped to stay with him but the priest said to grandad – “He’s not a Catholic!” and ordered me out of the house. I had been a regular at the Methodist Sunday School, but just before the annual Anniversary service, the teacher took away my part in it and gave it to someone else. I voted with my feet. Then I joined the Scouts and as they met in the local Church of England Church, I became an Anglican. I have felt ‘at home’ in the Anglican Church most of the time since.
Religious experience of a negative kind can turn people away from Church very easily. It can also colour your judgement about other Churches. It took me quite a few years to think kindly of the Roman Catholic Church after my encounter with my grandad’s priest. I’m sure they will be relieved to hear this but I forgave the Methodists rather sooner!
It sometimes feels like attempts at Christian Unity fall foul because every church believes that it is right and that it alone has the truth. There was once a Church in a town which was signposted with The Church of God. All went well for a while but eventually there was a bit of a fallng out. A group of the members broke away and set up a rival church. The sign outside proclaimed: The TRUE Church of God. Again things flourished for a while but then there was another argument and some of the members of that church left. They bought a building a bit further down the road and soon they opened their doors. This time, the sign read: The ONLY True Church of God.
It sometimes feels like attempts at Christian Unity fall foul because every church believes that it is right and that it alone has the truth. How false is that! The former Chief Rabbi, Jonathan Sacks of blessed memory, in his book, The Dignity of Difference, wrote this — Only in heaven is there Truth. On earth there are truths. God is the only real truth and all over the globe people are seeking to answer that profound question of Pilate to Jesus at his trial – what is truth?
Truth on earth, Rabbi Sacks says, is not, nor can it aspire to be, the whole truth. It is limited, not comprehensive; particular, not universal. What propositions conflict is not necessarily because one is true and the other false. Rabbi Sacks. He suggests that the difference is because we are coming at something from different angles but both are only part of the truth
I believe that we can only look to God for the real answer and anyone who claims to hold THE truth exclusive of others, is bound to be mistaken. We can only learn truth if we listen to others and share our insights with each other and, of course, most important of all, listen to God in prayer.
Because of this everyone has something to contribute to the knowledge and experience of God. No one’s perception is greater than any one else’s and the real wisdom isn’t that someone knows something absolute which cannot be disputed. The really wise person, Rabbi Sacks maintains, is one who knows all have some share in the truth and is willing to learn from them, for no one knows all the truth but each of us know something of it and it is in sharing these insights that our life and our faith are enriched and our knowledge increased.
There is much in Judaism I admire and there is much in Islam that I respect. My Hindu hairdresser in the North taught me a lot about prayer in the family. I love the joyful and convincing hymn-singing and biblical insights of the Methodists. I like the ritual and devotion of the Roman Catholic Church. I love the ceremonies of High Anglicanism; the intellectual honesty of Anglican theology; the exuberant praise worship of our evangelical brethren. I draw strength from Celtic insights into the sacredness of places and people; I enjoy the simple rhythm of Taizé; I find enrichment in ancient prayer forms like the Labyrinth; I adore the Orthodox Liturgy.
I am reduced to silence by the witness of monastic places like Bec where Sister Iréné painted an Icon which breathes prayer into my home; I like the simplicity of worship in a quiet rural church and my heart soars during Anglican Cathedral Evensong and much, much more.
I find talking with Christians of other denominations fascinating. There is so much to learn. Within the church community I am part of, St Mary-at-Latton. I rejoice at the many different insights people bring to worship. There is so much to share.
And God is in all that and in much, much more. He is bigger than all our concepts of Him or He would not be God.
Wide Vision goes with deep exploration. God is always teaching us something new.
Evelyn Underhill (mystic and spiritual guide) spoke of all our differing expressions of faith as ‘Chapels in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit’. I love that.
We are all part of the Universal Church – and that’s what being Catholic means. What gives any church real authenticity is if, in the words of Michael Ramsey, it is filled with the grace-giving presence of Jesus Christ. Grace-filled churches have no need of labels. They simply reflect our Lord Jesus Christ and so try to live close to God who is the giver of ALL Grace and Truth.
You may have been wondering where I have been lately. I haven’t been in touch since I gave advice about Christmas presents you could have got for the cat-lover in your life.
Since then, of course, there’s has been a certain amount of winter hibernation though we cats prefer to call it horizontal theology. In my case, as you see above, it is often more circular theology.
It is now much too cold to visit night clubs so contemplation is much the best way to pass the time. This is all well and good as long as strict instructions are left to one’s servants. Meal times must be observed at all times – that is, breakfast, mid-morning snack, late lunch, early tea, high tea, dinner and supper. There is no need to call us. We have excellent winter hearing.
As I say, in between, I practice Circular theology. You will see from the photograph above what this entails. It requires some slight adjustment in front of the Crib. There are offcially 3 Kings and, by then, no sheep though the farmers are forgetful souls. I was able to move the wayward sheep who promptly fell asleep until Spring. Meanwhile, I was on Epiphany Watch or guard. It may look as if I am sleeping but nothing could be further from the truth. I shall be vigilant at my post (when not eating or sleeping elsewhere) until the official end of the Christmas season on Candlemass which is, as you know, February 2nd. After which, of course, we shall begin our preparations for Lent but I will speak to you about this nearer the time.
You may notice in the photograph that the Elephant (the artist formally known as Camel) has decided to overwinter chez nous.
Mr G's Ponderings 