TAPESTRY

WE CAN PRESENT A LOVELY TAPESTRY TO THE WORLD. BUT IT’S EASY TO HIDE THE TANGLED THREADS OF OUR LIVES THAT CAN BE A KNOTTED DISASTER.

I HAVE A FRIEND MIRIAM, WHO IS A PART OF ‘MADONNA HOUSE’ WHO HAS A GREAT TALENT FOR CROSS STITCHING. SHE PAINSTAKINGLY THREADS EACH NEEDLE AND PULLS EACH COLOURED THREAD THROUGH WITH CARE AND LOVE. SHE CREATES BEAUTIFUL ART.

BUT SHE ALSO HAS CONNECTED THE THREADS OF HER OWN LIFE TO CHRIST WHO IS THE MASTER WEAVER. MIRIAM SUFFERS FROM M.S.. SHE ONCE WAS A DIRECTOR OF THE MARIAN CENTRE (IN RUSSIA I BELIEVE) AND NOW WE ARE BLESSED TO KNOW HER THROUGH HER WORK WITH THE POOR AND MARGINALIZED HERE IN EDMONTON. SHE MOSTLY HAS TO GET AROUND ON A MOTORIZED SCOOTER THESE DAYS , HAS BRACES ON HER LEGS, AND WHEN SHE WALKS WITH HER 2 CANES EACH STEP IS PAINFUL AND MEASURED.

LOOK AT HER SMILE AND NOT HER STEPS AND YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW THERE IS A DAILY SUFFERING THERE. SHE LIVES TO GIVE …NOT JUST THROUGH HER ART BUT BY CONNECTING HER VERY LIFE TO THE POOR WHOM SHE HAS VOWED TO SERVE.

TIM KELLER WRITES,”REWEAVING SHALOM MEANS TO SACRIFICIALLY THREAD, LACE, AND PRESS YOUR TIME, GOODS, POWER, AND RESOURCES INTO THE LIVES AND NEEDS OF OTHERS….THE STRONG MUST DISADVANTAGE THEMSELVES FOR THE WEAK, THE MAJORITY FOR THE MINORITY, OR THE COMMUNITY FRAYS AND THE FABRIC BREAKS.”

THE COLOURS OF OUR TAPESTRIES WILL BE MORE VIBRANT THAN WE COULD EVER IMAGINE IF WE ALLOW GOD TO THREAD HIS BEAUTIFUL LOVE THROUGH OUR OWN LIVES. WE ARE TRULY ALL CONNECTED. AND WHEN WE LIVE AS THOUGH WE ARE ALONE HERE, OUR OWN SUFFERINGS WILL BE GREATER AND OF NO PURPOSE.

WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO FEEL LOST, AFRAID, EVEN HOPELESS AT TIMES. HOW GREAT DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE A FRIEND WHO WE CAN LEAN ON? IT IS WHEN WE LOOK BEYOND OURSELVES TO THOSE IN NEED THAT WE CAN FIND OUR PURPOSE . THIS WORLD HAS BECOME CONNECTED BECAUSE OF COVID. BUT ARE WE STILL TANGLED UP IN OUR OWN STORIES?

LET’S START BY REACHING OUT TO THE ONE WHO INITIALLY STITCHED LOVE IN OUR HEARTS. LET’S FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE AND LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR AS OURSELVES. LET’S STOP PROMOTING HATRED ON LINE. LET’S SEW THE SIMPLE THREADS OF LOVE INTO EACH THOUGHT AND CONVERSATION WE HAVE TODAY.

AND LET’S WEAVE A SIMPLE PRAYER OF LOVE AND KINDNESS INTO OUR ACTIONS AND REACTIONS TODAY SO THAT OUR GROWING TAPESTRIES WILL ATTRACT OTHERS BY THEIR BEAUTY AND THE KNOTS BEHIND WILL BE STRONG BUT NOT UGLY.

THERE WILL BE SUFFERING. BUT THE ONE WHO SUFFERED AND DIED FOR US STILL TEACHES US HOW TO LIVE.

SHALOM.