A new Circuit Board

 

A new Circuit Board

 

There are many forms of work, but all of them, in all people, are the work of the same God.  In each of us the Spirit is manifested in one particular way for some useful purpose.                                                                         (1 Corinthians 12:6-7)

“What a kerfuffle!” I heard someone exclaim the other day, and I chuckled with delight to hear that old Scottish word which my mother would use when things were in a state of confusion.  Well, “kerfuffle” more or less described the situation in my house this October!  Order has now been restored, I’m glad to say – but only after five visits from four clever masked men…

It all started one morning when I woke up feeling cold and realised that the central heating wasn’t working.  On opening the front panel of the boiler, I saw that the pressure arrow was away beyond the green section where it should be.  Trying to remember the instructions, I found the ‘tap’ down below and turned it 90 degrees.  Within an hour the whole house was far too hot – and now I couldn’t turn the heating off!  I hurriedly looked up the phone number for Scottish Gas.

A young engineer- wearing a mask with a hairy fringe (he had a beard!) - came promptly.  While I stayed at a safe distance in the living room, he fixed the pressure and checked that all was in good order.  Now I could relax!  However, a few days later I was somewhat alarmed when another masked man arrived unexpectedly at my door, asking to come in.  This was a local Scottish Gas inspector, come to check that the work had been properly carried out.  I hurriedly put on a mask and directed him through the garage to the kitchen and back garden where he carried out another thorough inspection.

The next masked stranger to arrive was a Hotpoint engineer to solve the problem of my washing machine, which had mysteriously turned On-Off, On-Off when I had tried to start the usual hot wash of towels. Once again, I put on a mask and stayed safely in the living room while he tested the machine. Ten minutes later he declared that he could find no fault, then departed, leaving me relieved but very puzzled as the machine obediently filled up with hot water.  All was well!

But two days later I awoke once again to a cold house.  No heating and no hot water!  How could this be?  What was the meaning of all this? I wondered…

 In response to my emergency phone call, another masked engineer arrived and studied the flashing lights below the boiler.  After twenty minutes I was somewhat alarmed to hear him on his mobile phone, describing the problem to the manufacturers.  He then announced that a new circuit board was needed.  He didn’t have one in his van, but would return with a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) next morning.

Well, I had never seen or even heard of a PCB, so I quickly turned to Google for enlightenment!  There I read: ‘Printed Circuit Board.  A PCB allows components to be correctly connected to a power source while being safely insulated’.                    

 The following morning, I put on my mask, sanitised my hands and, somewhat nervously, went into the kitchen to view this essential piece of equipment.  How astonished I was when I saw it! – so small, but very complex.  When he removed the old one, the engineer pointed out the part which had burnt out, thus causing the breakdown.  I gasped in astonishment when I saw how tiny it was!  Hardly any bigger than this capital M!  Less than the size of one of my pinkie nails!  I was amazed to find that such a small part could prevent the flow of energy from the source of power – resulting in the huge difference between heat and cold, comfort and misery. 

As soon as the new circuit board was fitted, the central heating started up and hot water was available again, almost immediately.   Comfort had been restored!  How gratefully I thanked the engineer as he left the house.  As I relaxed with a cup of coffee, I humbly thought of how indebted I was to him and to the other three engineers who had recently come to my aid.  How glad I was that they had the necessary knowledge and expertise on subjects of which I knew next to nothing!  Pondering on this, I realised how, during the whole of October, I had been indebted to people who had specialist knowledge: the nurse who had given me the flu jab, the garage mechanic who had given my car its annual service, the pharmacist who had provided my medication, all the unknown IT experts who had made it possible to connect with my family members via Zoom.  I thanked God for all those who, unlike myself, had chosen to study ‘science subjects’ at school.  I had followed my passion for languages, music and writing, and had enjoyed my teaching career, but there are often occasions when I feel totally ignorant!

Two books in my study sum up the situation.  In the hope of extending my knowledge, I bought Physics for Dummies, but after only two pages I was groaning in despair.  Obviously, familiarity with algebra was needed, and I found the terms of reference, e.g. Vectors, completely incomprehensible.  I gave up! – concluding that any hope of understanding the basics of modern technology seemed to be blocked by my overriding sense of wonder, which belongs more to pre-Industrial Revolution times that to the 21^st century!

For example, I remember my amazement one afternoon on a deserted beach on the island of Arran.  Wanting to take a photograph of my sister and nieces, I ran back to my car to fetch my camera from the boot.  Beside the camera my mobile phone was flashing, so I checked my mail.  ‘Hoping you are having a lovely time on Arran’ said the message – from my son in Hong Kong!  What!! How on earth had that come all the way from Hong Kong into the boot of my car in such a lonely place?  No amount of slow, patient scientific explanation could have diminished my awe and wonder…

Which takes me to the other book: Marcus Borg’s Days of Awe and Wonder.  An hour after buying it in Edinburgh, I started to read it on the bus home.  Only two pages into the first chapter Listening to the Spirit, I found myself emitting soft clucks of agreement – like a happy hen!  I read, for example: ‘In addition to the visible material world disclosed to us by ordinary sense perception (and modern science) there is another level of reality, a second world of nonmaterial reality, charged with energy and power’ (my italics)…  I was immediately reminded of the prayer which Jesus taught his disciples: ‘Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory’.

  What a great pity that so many people don’t know these words, don’t want anything to do with the Gospel (= Good News) and have no time for faith in God, so the powerful ‘circuit’ flow of God’s love and comfort is broken for them.  Do any of these ‘circuit breakers’ sound familiar?

‘Oh, I don’t have time for any of that at the weekend – I’m too busy catching up with housework’./ I’m a scientist, so I don’t believe in God./I’m actually a very practical person, so I only believe in things I can see and touch/I used to have a Bible, but I’ve lost it./I need facts – not any of that airy-fairy stuff./ For goodness sake, this is the 21^st century!/My parents used to force me to go to church, but I rebelled when I was sixteen/ It isn’t cool to go to church or read the Bible – my pals would laugh at me if I did/My Dad said they were all hypocrites, so we never went to church/ Religions just cause wars, so they should all be banned.’

To all of these pre-Covid views will certainly now be added “How can you possibly believe in a loving God, when the whole world is in such a mess and every day we are bombarded with frightening statistics of new cases of the virus and the mounting number of deaths?”

Well, that’s where faith comes in!  The good news is that each individual’s relationship with God is on a private, one-to-one basis.  Here’s my advice.

Switch off the radio, the TV and all your smart devices.  Cast all newspapers aside.  (Sorry – the following may sound ironic, even cruel, to anyone who is self-isolating.) Find a quiet place to sit where you are unlikely to be disturbed.  Imagine that you are about to make a very indignant phone call.  Then either silently or, preferably, out loud, pour out all your anger, fear, grief, frustration and/or despair, until you can say no more. If necessary, write them all down in a list.  Now add these words: “Please, God, help me” OR “Please God, if you exist, help me.”

To ensure the ‘call’ is received, use the password, which is Thank you.  Cast your mind back to past ‘blessings’ for which you are still thankful, especially unexpected ones at times of stress.  Enjoy remembering them for a minute or two.  Relax.  Repeat the password Thank you.  Then quietly remain seated or get up and go.  Repeat this ‘phone call’ whenever you feel the need.  In this way you are on the right line to receive the peace of God which passes all understanding – a sign that your new circuit board is now connected to God’s power source. 

Amen (= So be it)

Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened.