‘It’s so cold!’
I’m packing to go from a bleak midwinter in northeastern
Scotland to what is also winter, but in southern California. What should I
take?
I do this regularly and every time I struggle. There is no right
answer to the question of whether or not it’s cold, because perception of cold
or heat, except in the extremes, is so variable.
I’ve learned over the years that when Don says it’s ‘baking
hot’, it’s probably just a comfortable temperature. Equally, he knows that when
I say it’s really pleasant, it’s probably too hot for him.
The temperatures will certainly be lots warmer than here,
but I know that on the California coast, it can be foggy, damp, and feel cold. So,
I’ve put in more than I will need, for sure.
On every level, our world - the natural, the social and the
political - is open to interpretation and dependent on perception. We may well
ask, as Pilate asked Jesus, ‘What is truth?’
I am so grateful that Jesus has told us that he is ‘the Way,
the Truth and the Life’. So when I look at circumstances and the chaos of our
world, I can look beyond them at Jesus and know that if what I’m seeing is not an
expression of love, of kindness, of grace, of mercy, of forgiveness, or of
peace, then it is not the Truth and it is not the way in which I want to walk.
Grace and peace, enrobed in love. Have a great day.
