I was sent this poem yesterday.
It was written by Pablo Neruda from Chile who died in 1973.
IN THE TIME OF QUIET
No one’s told the daffodils about the pause to Spring
And no one’s told the birds to roost and asked them not to sing
No one’s asked the lazy bee to cease his bumbling round
And no one’s stopped the bright green shoots emerging through the ground
No one’s told the sap to rest, deep within the wood
And stop the sleepy trees from waking, wreathed about in bud
No one’s told the sky to douse its brightest shades of blue
And stop the scudding clouds from puffing headlong into view
No one’s asked the lambs to still the springs beneath their feet,
To stop their rapid rush and quell each joyful bleat
No one’s told the stream to halt its gurgle or its flow
And warned the playful breezes, not to gust and blow
No one’s asked the raindrops not to fall upon the earth
And fail to quench the soil in the season of rebirth
No one’s locked the sun down, or dimmed the shimmer of the moon
And even in the darkest night, the stars are still immune
Remember what you value, remember who is dear
Close the doors to danger and keep your family near
In the quiet all around us take the time to sit and stare
And wonder at the glory unfurling everywhere
Look towards the future, after the ordeal
And keep faith in Mother Nature’s power and will to heal
On being temporary
and so I see
it is not forever
this body and this soul
neither the blessings
not the luxury of complaint
my glory and my ruin
and everything in between
this present reality
of all I touch and taste and feel and see
to me
more important than the fate of the nations
yet only
a tiny seed
visible, blooming, gone
I watched a man
my father
reading on his favourite chair
through distance and glass
secretly because
I could not enter
(out of love, not estrangement)
that scene too, is temporary
a tiny stitch in a tapestry
as beautiful in part as it is in whole
and so
I will be thankful
Andy
Christians, too, must be ‘contagious'
At the moment, we all have an immense fear of catching the dreaded Corona Virus.This enforced lockdown has been put into place because this virus can be spread so easily and so quickly. This got me thinking about the way in which we, as Christians, interact with others and in what ways we could be more ‘radical’ or ‘contagious’ if you like. Christianity and, in particular, love for one another, is very ‘infectious' but if others fail to see us loving and caring so that they too ‘catch’ it from us, then perhaps we are not contagious enough!
We all hope that, eventually, due to the efforts of Government, Science and Medicine, this virus will be 'sent packing’; in effect it will have run its course and just ‘die'. However, it is also true that if our own faith is not being expressed in Christian activity or evangelism such as loving, caring, giving and sharing our faith with others, then it too could all too soon ‘die’ within us. The Corona Virus commands an urgent response to halt its devastating march but we, too, should have a sense of urgency to reach out to people where they are right now and offer help in whatever form that may take. It is at this very time when the world feels powerless that we, as Christians, can ‘come into our own’ and create a real sense of ‘holy desperation’ in which to reach out to others and show them that, even in the midst of chaos, we can still rest in his loving arms and find a real sense of peace and hope. This is a real opportunity to rise to the challenge and do what it takes to make a difference; pray, care, give in practical ways and, above all, show what we’re made of, love.
As we enjoy all the recent encouraging contributions on the NK website, it shows that the most inspiring poems, songs and pictures have, as always, come out of pain and tragedy and, in fact, some of the strongest and most blessed lives have come out of anxiety and suffering. As we face these storms, we can be like trees that bend but survive the worst because our roots are driven deep; battered by winds but ultimately producing the very best and strongest wood. In this way, we can show others our strength and love even in the most difficult and trying of times. Perhaps, when we have successfully overcome this unseen enemy, we, too, can confidently claim that: “When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job. 23: 10)
When we were out on our daily walk recently, we took a photo of this inscription which we had never really taken the time to digest before. It is above the bench in the little garden beside the Terrace Medical Practice. It is Mother Nature who often says it in the most encouraging and simple way. These flowers are managing to grow just below the inscription on the roughest ground and in the most haphazard way… but surviving they are and so will we. With the Lord’s help and strength, we will do better than that. We trust in Him and our hope is in Him so that we have joy and peace in all circumstances. Now that is contagious!