A Multicoloured Fabric

A Multicoloured Fabric

Another coincidence!  Another of the ‘just-then-the-postman-arrived’ variety!

I was just coming downstairs after publishing last week’s post, ‘The Green Cloth’, when the postman arrived with my mail.  On the first envelope I picked up I saw these words:

 I burst out laughing with delight at this perfectly-timed confirmatory coincidence!  How do such things come about?  Are they arranged?  If so, by whom?  A guardian angel?  The Holy Spirit?  I just don’t know.  But I do know that such little moments of delighted surprise have occurred so often over the years that now each one fills me with awe and joyful gratitude.

On closer inspection I saw that the words meant that the envelope was made of recycled paper – and, no doubt, sceptics would say, “So what?  There are now many such envelopes in circulation.”  But this was the first time I had received one … 

Writing about my vision of the green cloth reminded me of another one, this time of brightly coloured strips of fabric, woven together, as in a kettle-holder I made long ago at primary school!  It came to me as I was trying to find a visual aid for a talk I was to give to teenage members of our church Bible class.  I ‘saw’ an interwoven fabric in which the horizontal warp represented different aspects of human life: happiness, anxiety, joy, sadness, etc.; whilst the vertical weft represented different individual human beings.

I included black because it is almost certain that sooner or later each of us will experience a ‘dark’ period.  This could simply be grief at the loss of a loved one.  But for some it could also be a time of depression or addiction, fear, loneliness or chronic illness etc.  Each person’s ‘life fabric’ would be different, some with very little black, some with a lot.  The brighter colours represent various degrees of well-being and happiness – times of contentment, creativity, confidence, close relationships, and so on.  Some horizontals would affect everyone at the same time, such as war or peace, prosperity or austerity. However, personal reactions to the common situation would differ.

Meanwhile the vertical strips are in separate colours, to emphasise the differences between individuals.  Each is weaving its way over and under whatever horizontals it has to meet – but, I feel, always upwards towards the top, symbolising the soul’s journey towards God, with whom it is always connected – regardless of whether or not its owner has any religious faith!

Now I know that this is far from being a perfect analogy, and I am aware that my agnostic friends would dismiss it as “bonkers”!  However, I want to include it in my blog because I am only too well aware of how easy it is to become depressed and discouraged by the daily news of violence, cruelty, poverty, hunger, natural disasters, climate change, and so on.  Not to mention the present political chaos produced by Brexit!  But each of us can gain comfort and renewed strength by praying for guidance through the present bewildering situation, and for the determination to do something positive to help others every day, in however small a way…   

To end with, here are two of my favourite Bible quotations:

Jesus said: I have told you all this so that in me you may find peace.  In the world you will have trouble.  But courage!  The victory is mine; I have conquered the world.  (John 16, v 33)

Paul wrote: I have been very thoroughly initiated into the human lot with all its ups and downs …        I have strength for anything through Christ who gives me strength.   (Philippians 4, v 12, 13)