Just BE

 

Multiple bunches of heady white flowers cluster voluptuously (too strong a word?) on the rowan tree outside this window. As I gaze, I see a variety of busy bees, bugs and butterflies. I was going to say ‘Red Admiral’ butterflies: googled ‘common British butterflies’ to confirm and find that these ones could be Red Admirals, or they could be Peacock, Orange Tip, or even Painted Lady (perhaps voluptuously was the correct word after all?!) Some are orange as in these species; others are white cabbage butterflies whose larvae make lace from my vegetables every year.

My neighbour, a talented gardener, has been laid aside this year, having broken her wrist in spring. She was complaining that her flower beds are now full of weeds and she isn’t quite up to pulling them all. I commiserated as my flower and vegetable beds are all full of weeds, but in these days of trying to recover a healthy bio-diversity, we’re just doing our bit.

Someone close to me mentioned she is meditating now, for a few minutes each morning and night, on the verse, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’ In my prayer window this morning, I thought I might give that a go myself. I repeated it as a sort of mantra once or twice, slowly, but then I seemed to just stick on the word ‘Be’.

I found that as I relaxed, focused on the word ‘Be’, I felt no urgency to press on with the rest of the verse nor, in fact, with the rest of the day. I was able to slump into the word ‘Be’, and just be. I didn’t even repeat it. I just sat.

Those insects, busy on the rowan blossom, haven’t the luxury of just ‘being’. I imagine they work hard just to gather enough food to stay alive. Other human beings are stuck in the same relentless cycle, and for them today I pray.

Bless all those sisters and brothers of mine who, today, have no opportunity to just ‘be’. Those caught in the turmoil and trauma of war; those caught in the horror and injustice of slavery; those driven by fear to earn enough to buy food for the table and pay the rent; those whose thoughts assail them so they seek constant distraction.

The Sabbath is a gift from God. I know it is Monday morning, but for five minutes this morning I entertained just ‘being’. Those five minutes are lingering with me, hours later.

I am so grateful for the gift of God this morning. ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’ Perhaps, you, too will linger and just BE.