In our (virtual) staff meeting this morning Jay Kiel, our Children's, Family and Youth minister, said in remarking about the different reality we are living in today, “I’m impressed with the beauty we can find when we are not in control.” I believe he was talking about this discovery as he and family were taking a walk, but I believe it has far wider applications, at least for me.
Controlling our environment, our lives, our work, our play—our everything—is what many of us have been taught to do throughout our lives. And it has often been the source of our success, and it is, of course, a necessary part of taking care of ourselves. But there also seems to be a time for me to learn about myself, others, and the world around me without my attempting to control how it comes to me. There is tremendous beauty to behold in people and in nature by letting them be who they are, and by observing how wonderfully God has created all things.
When I chose to listen or to be quiet, I have learned much. There is a prayer form called Contemplative Prayer in which one practices sitting in silence so that the voice of the Spirit might be heard. I struggled to do this for the 20 minutes suggested having all sort of competing ideas and thoughts constantly invading and wanting to be heard. However, when the Spirit is allowed time, or when the beauty of nature is observed as it is, or when another person can follow a thought or idea to its end without interruption, many wonderful things happen.
Jay might not have had all of this in mind, but the comment of the “beauty we can find when we are not in control” may be another way of God saying to us “Be still and know that I am God.” As we are struggling with separation and social distancing today, this may be the silver lining as we experience being “safer at home”, or “sheltering in place.”
Pastor Jerry
