change – James Roose-Evans

Turning

My favourite hymn is the Shaker ‘Simple Gifts’, the first verse of which is:

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Til by turning, turning we come ’round right

It is by being flexible and open to change that we find ourselves balanced, whole, and free.

Red hardbound hymn books on a wooden shelf — Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Leap – and the net will appear

Sister Philippa Edwards of Stanbrook Abbey once sent me this poem by Christopher Logue:

Come to the edge
We might fall.
Come to the edge.
It’s too high!
COME TO THE EDGE!
And they came,
And he pushed,
And they flew.

Sometimes in life it takes another person to give us the push we need; but more often it is up to us. Ultimately, if we are to grow and fulfil our destiny, we have to take such leaps of faith. Occasionally one comes a cropper! But even from that we can learn.

Being open to change

The other day I came across an entry in my journal, dated 4 January 1973:

One is alone, and in the end one must go into that inner room, close the door, and face the four reflecting walls that speak back to one. Is the sin against the Holy Spirit that of the individual who refuses to grow, to accept reality and the possibility of change?