Belonging...

Community is a strange concept. It’s something we all crave for but few of us experience in its purest form. Many of us talk a good theology of it, but in practice? That’s another story all together. Part of the problem with the lack of complete community is that we, as individuals, usually gravitate toward people who are like us, and shy away from those who are different.

There is a good reason for this. As humans we have inherited an innate fear of difference.
Belonging is an essential component to living “life in all its fullness”, but so often this is marginalised and corrupted by our incessant (though quite natural) desire to belong to groups who are like-minded.

To paraphrase the wonderful Adrain Plass, there are days when I worry and am confused about the Church (about community)- maybe even a little frightened at times, but as we sit in the darkness, i know in my heart of hearts that the church will be alright in the end.

Because there will be people who when the tongues have stopped, and the prophesies have ended, and the kangaroo-hopping has come to a stand still, and the religious posing and posturing fools no-one anymore, will still be ready to share the burdens of the little people who are close to them.

We are one but not the same…….

A legend tells how, at the beginning of time, God resolved to hide himself within his own creation. As God was wondering how best to do this, the angels gathered round him.
‘I want to hide myself in my creation,’ he told them. ‘I need to find a place that is not too easily discovered, for it is in their search for me that my creatures will grow in spirit and in understanding.’
‘Why don’t you hide yourself deep in the earth?’ the first angel suggested. God pondered for a while, then replied, ‘No. it will not be long before they learn how to mine the earth and discover all the treasures that it contains. They will discover me too quickly, and they will not have had enough time to do their growing.’
‘Why don’t you hide yourself on their moon?’ a second angel suggested. God thought about this idea for a while, and then replied, ‘No. It will take a little longer, but before too long they will learn how to fly through space. They will arrive on the moon and explore its secrets, and they will discover me too soon, before they have had time to do their growing.
The angels were at a loss to know what hiding places to suggest. There was a long silence.
‘I know,’ piped up one angel, finally. ‘Why don’t you hide yourself within their own hearts? They will never think of looking for you there!’
‘That’s it!’ said God, delighted to have found the perfect hiding place. And so it is that God hides secretly deep within the heart of every creature, until that creature is wiling to risk the journey into the secret core of its own being. And there, the creature discovers its creator….

Today, like every other day, we wake up emptyand frightened. Don’t open the door to the studyand begin reading. Take down a musical instrument. Let the beauty we love be what we do.There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.Don’t go back to sleep. You must ask for what you really want. Don’t go back to sleep.People are going back and forth across the doorsillwhere the two worlds touch. The door is round and open. Don’t go back to sleep.
I would love to kiss you. The price of kissing is your life. Now my loving is running toward my life shouting, What a bargain, let’s buy it.
Daylight, full of small dancing particles and the one great turning, our soulsare dancing with you, without feet, they dance. Can you see them when I whisper in your ear?
All day and night, music, a quiet, bright reed song. If it fades, we fade.
RUMI

In some odd way I think I like the fact that the destination stays just out of reach, it keeps me moving forward rather than standing still and not searching anymore – but I admit it’s nice to sometimes hear the heartbeat of love slightly pounding – the echo of the eternal.
‘The wind is blowing down the silent river,a shining road that leaves me all alone.A life for you’s worth losing you forever.Some day we’ll stand in God’s fair land, forever home.
I wish that life wasn’t always ending up this way,with Heaven’s love at stake and hell to pay.But you in God’s loving plan might be the missing part.You must live.So I give you to his heart.’
(Alison Krauss)

‘There’s a loneliness inside her, and she’d do anything to fill it in. And though it’s red blood bleeding from her now, it feels like cold blue ice in her heart….when all the colours mix together to grey.’(Dave Matthews Band)

…as I contemplate town tonight, I preach to myself, my soul if you like. knowing that if i listen closely, if i have the courage to do so, i just may see the divine, and in seeing the divine, i may see others as i should, as they really are…. i may just also see myself.

the trouble is, am i willing to see the truth of who i am, the real me?
for the reason i don’t stop most of the time is because i do not want to see who i am - that person who lurks beneath…
they say the truth sets you free, hmmm, it also breaks you to pieces

‘if i stopped
if i was quiet for a minute
if i was calm
if i was still
if i turned everyone down
if i switched everything off
if i ceased looking everywhere all at once
if i was silent
if i was still
if i stayed at home
if i didn’t pick up the phone
if i was out even when i was in
if i was silent
if i was still
if i slowed right down
if i simply sat here
there
anywhere
if i stood on my head
and emptied out the contents
if i stopped
would you be there
would you speak to me
would i be able to hear you
would it be worth it?
if i stopped
would it be long enough?
if i was silent
would i hear anything?
if i heard something would i know it was you?
if i did
would i be interested?
if i was
would i stop again?’
(Martin Wroe from ‘When You Haven’t Got a Prayer: A journalist talks to God’)

Will you find me?
Christ the Saviour who we wait for.

R, you were distant tonight. Far removed from an experienced reality. You were void.

For the first time ever I was unrecognisable to you.
You were sore on me, you were sore on yourself.
You couldn't see me tonight. You wouldn't allow yourself to look.

You couldn't see Me.


To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.
Mary Oliver