Thursday 25 August 2016

Stagnant Puddles

Not exactly dressed for beach combing
but still the rock pools call,
"Come and find life".
What is there amongst these stagnant puddles
where my unadventurous boots dare to tread?
A momentary shower of bubbles
- someone is home.
A flash of light, a glimpse of a darting fish.
An unusual tugging on some kelp
reveals the tiny claws of a crab. 
(I'm not sure why I don't like crabs.)
Tiny transparent crustaceans
dare to emerge from the dark,
but if I move too quickly
they are gone. 
Oh hidden life,
life reluctant to be exposed,
of what are you afraid?
The water moves,
but oh so slowly,
as you wait for the tides to change.
Meanwhile, the sea roars behind me.
Deeper waters beckon. 

Wednesday 24 August 2016

Exploring Freedom

Tomorrow I am sharing a quiet day with two local Anglican colleagues. It is a much anticipated day that has been postponed at least once. It is the beginning of a new era for the three of us. We hope to work more closely and develop deeper relationships with each other. The theme for the day is "Freedom". Each of us will share a reflection on the theme and we will spend time in quiet, meditating and reflecting.

It has been on my list of things to do, but still I find myself the night before pondering what angle I might take. The lectionary readings from last week are heavily influencing my thoughts. In Hebrews 12 there is an image of removing what is shaken so that what is not shaken may remain. In my message on Sunday I talked about giving the tree of our faith a good shake, letting all the dead leaves fall to allow for new growth. Giving the tree a good shake makes us vulnerable, but brings freedom. 



There is, perhaps, a level of self indulgence if I decide to pursue this image for my reflection. Life seems to be a constant cycle of feeling heavy laden, giving life a good shake and having the space to grow and bear fruit. At present, I am feeling the burden of the weight of life. I could use some time to sit, be quiet and discern those things that can be shaken.

This leads me to think about another possible angle. Freedom is found when we know who we are, whose we are and live our life accordingly. Identity and integrity, for me, are key aspects of being free; free to be me. We live in a world that tells us who we should be, what we should strive to be and how we should not be. Stripping this away helps us to find freedom.

In some ways it doesn't matter which tack I take for my reflection. The most important part of tomorrow will not be any words of wisdom I may manage to concoct, but the space, the stillness, the sitting in the presence of the divine. It will be a time to remember where I belong, who I am and that which needs to be shaken. My hope is that I will leave knowing a little more about freedom.