Barometric Pressure

 

When we got a barometer several years ago, we needed to get it calibrated before it could give us a correct reading of the air pressure. I don’t think we ever did it, so we never were able to trust its accuracy.

As I sat in the prayer window this morning, it occurred to me that that is where I go to be recalibrated. In this world, there are so many things which declare themselves to be a normal baseline. Truth. But these things have changed through the years and do not give an accurate measure of right and wrong.

This was brought home to me a couple of days ago. Going through the attic, we found a book which I had as a child and absolutely loved. In my memory, it was about a beautiful and kind Queen who invited children into her palace and taught them to ballet dance. At their suggestion, she decided to fly round the world in her magic carriage and collect destitute children from different places to demonstrate their own dances. As a child, I loved the colours and the pictures.

Excited to plunge into the story again, I sat between Greg and Flick and started to read. Immediately, I winced at the implied lesser status of women. A few pages in, and I could barely believe the racism expressed in presenting caricatures of various nationalities and races. I stumbled, trying to recapture the remembered magic of the book to convey to my grandchildren. I flicked past things. I re-worded it, which was tricky as Felicity was reading along with me and noticed.

When we reached a place where children were shown bowing prostrate before a buddha, the questions were coming thick and fast. We ended up googling buddha, to satisfy their interest in who he was and why were people worshiping his image. Oh my gosh.

I so need the barometer of the Bible and the Holy Spirit, the whispered guidance of Jesus, to navigate this world. Just like the weather, norms of what is acceptable and what is not are fickle, constantly changing. Only God never changes. He is our rock. Again, I am so grateful.