Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Out for my allotted exercise time I couldn’t help but marvel in the ice that lay all around. I had been walking and listening to Lectio 365 the daily prayer app that has become a close companion at the moment. My routine is to follow it with another app ‘Pray as You Go’ to extend my prayer listening and participation time, sandwiched with birdsong, crunchy icy steps and the music of the Poor Clares of Arundel. Just as I stepped out onto the fields the commentary asked “What is God wanting to show you?” I stopped, because right then the sun came out in full, it lit up the frosty ground and I felt the winter sun on my face and the warmth filled me with comfort, hope and yes joy. The light sparkled off the ice, perhaps that is what God was asking me to see today?
My further listening was part of a retreat series, ‘Pray as you Stay’. Today was about Prudence one of the virtues. Not a popular one but a virtue nevertheless; as it underlined that we are asked to be prudent in this pandemic, quietly looking after ourselves, washing our hands often, observing social distancing, as a way to protect ourselves and others. Those who are caring for others professionally and to love one another as we are tasked by Jesus. The commentator explained that it was a still, grounded, quiet ‘kind of loving’ and I really connected with that.
Loads of ice surrounded me today and it occurred that in Lockdown 3 (“This time its personal” - the quip from Scala radio) that we are perhaps suspended in ice. We are
frozen in our tracks again but underneath the still exterior a gentle kind of loving pervades and is always with us if we let love in. Jesus is with us, in all of our days, however they turn out, He is just waiting for us to catch up as we walk on ice unsteadily alongside Him, ready to catch us with love when we fall, as we are oft so to do.
Let me take you back to Monday’s walk…I listened to the new series in Lectio 365 about the Beatitudes, and was asked to think about giving away goods. As I listened to the passage from Scripture I realised I had always thought about the practical giving away of ‘things’ I had never thought about that passage except in terms of actual physical goods. It had never occurred to me that the goods we give away could be other resources, in other words our gifts. In our seclusion we despite everything, and if we were able, have found time for more phone calls to friends, found time to give back to God to be quiet and truly concentrate on the Word and really, really become absorbed of giving the greatest gift we can to God our time and full focus. Here I know many are not able to do that, as their gifts have been out in the world healing within the medical professions, teaching to keep learning on track despite the barriers and a myriad of other gifts from keeping shops open, garages open and enabling some kind of normality amid the chaos. These precious gifts of individual sacrifices to keep us safe are precious indeed.
Ice then can be beautiful, it has kept us careful, it taps in to our natural instinct to preserve and keep ourselves and others safe, a timely remainder from above? This week has been full of gifts, we are reminded at Epiphany when the Magi arrived at the Manger of their gold, frankincense and myrrh. A huge rainbow straddled the sky on Sunday, another of God’s gifts to us, his Covenant and our hope. A freely given gentle kind of loving; rainbows, sun, ice, prudence, they may not be gold, frankincense and myrrh but just as precious eh?
"...The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these..." Mark 12:31
https://youtu.be/u4Hv6ExVxWo Love isn’t Love (unless you give it away...)
Peace be with you friends, see you virtually for Celtic Morning Prayers at 9am tomorrow morning <><
Caroline :)
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