Sometimes, when I think I have a lot of time in the morning—or when something interesting grabs my attention as I scroll the news—I get lost in “the good, the bad and the ugly” and wonder what I am doing as the clock ticks away the day. I try not to let that happen because I usually come away anxious or depressed by the news.
Today is Sunday, the first of “daylight saving,” which confuses our internal clocks and makes some of us late for everything. Why do we think we can control time in this way—just saying that we have lost or gained an hour and acting on that dictum? Well, here we are again and I am taken by what I see as I look out my windows. I have two bedroom windows, you see. One of them is high and looks to the South. The other takes in sky and mountain and even the roof of the cottage in the back yard to the East. As I sit here today, I am happy to be looking south where a beautifully white cloud sails slowly by, encouraged by the wind kicking up. I can only “see” the wind, of course, because of the very tall tree flailing in the middle of the window. The eastern exposure is already preparing for what has been predicted as a serious snowstorm. The sun that was so happy earlier has gone into hiding behind very large and burly clouds.
The outer often mimics the inner here. I wonder if my mood would have stayed as lighthearted as it was an hour ago if I had left the news alone and attended only to the Scriptures after the day had dawned…but that stormy weather is predicted—heavy snow out west and who knows what for our neighborhood…and I have been depleted by the on-going trials around the world…The only way out for me now seems to be good ritual – even if it’s “virtual.”
As I look to the Scriptures for this Fourth Sunday of Lent I find solace in the healing of the blind man (Jn 9:1-41). Even as I look out on more clouds and wind, I know that blindness of all kinds can be healed and I look forward to that story (in an hour now) as well as the choice of David, that ruddy teenager that God chose out of all the brothers to lead the people out of darkness. David wasn’t prefect…by any stretch of the imagination, but God loved him dearly. I’ll hold to that as I prepare for prayer to calm whatever “the weather” brings to my soul today.
In a rare move this morning, I chose to explore the NY Times briefing instead of queuing up the readings of the day from the Roman Catholic lectionary. The stimulus for my choice was a headline that read “Oxford Dictionary International Word for the Year.” I had to read through several headlines to find that entry but that in itself was instructive of the culture we live in and what seems to be – or is – important to know of the world today. Much of it was still political as we wait for election results, some of which may be delayed due to unreadable ballot signatures – part of the fallout from the fact that children are not always taught good writing skills in this electronic age. Then there was the potential impending downfall of Theresa May because of her unsatisfactory planning for “Brexit,” and so on around the world.
Over the past half hour I have had a line from the movie, The Sound of Music, floating in and out of my mind. As Julie Andrews is about to embark on her adventure as a nanny/governess for seven children she muses, “What will this day be like…I wonder…” My wondering is nothing like that of Ms. Andrews/Maria. I am anticipating the arrival of eleven women who have been participating in book studies at The Sophia Center over the past year. They are coming for a sort of “reunion workshop” that I’m sure will be extraordinary as they are, themselves, no ordinary women. My anticipation is calm and willing, an expectation of blessing and rest. So I pray for all of us (and seekers everywhere) a lovely morning “Prayer of Awareness” from John Phillip Newell.
Not having any inspiration this morning – nor even cogent thoughts for that matter, I have been searching the words of Macrina Wiederkehr for an expression that would mirror how I’m feeling. Since I am unable to recognize myself in anything I read, I choose simply to offer her prayer that begins: There are mornings when I simply sit in silence trying to remember some of the things that rise in me. Her list is challenging but maybe if I focus on even one of the elements, it will jump-start my motivation for the day. May this day be a blessing for each of us and all of us together as we rise to the call of the Spirit.
The Sophia Center for Spirituality 