Notes for the Week 19th Sunday after Pentecost October 20 2019
Dear friends,
Packing: the action or process of packing something. Like way too much or the wrong things. Or finally listening to “Old Red”, the luggage that has logged more miles around the world than I can count. She’s getting a little older, like me, and we would both appreciate carrying far less than in the past.
We’re off home to England to see family and friends, and most importantly to gather in Scotland for third-born Geoff’s wedding to the lovely Shasta. Once the happy couple have been well seen off on their honeymoon, we’ll all disperse to our various interests and destinations.
After a quiet, private retreat up on the Aberdeen coast, I’ll be meeting Mother Jaime+ in Durham and we’ll begin travelling together in England and Wales. Along the way, we plan to hold a little Oregon soiree for some of my English/Welsh family. So Old Red will be carrying some tightly wrapped Oregon wine, Moonstruck chocolates and a box of smoked salmon, in the midst of a few well-chosen items of clothing and the Mother-of-the-Groom dress.
It feels just about right. Packing just enough to survive well, leaving behind all that we really don’t need to carry with us. It’s the same whether we’re travelling 6,000 miles, or going up to the local store, maybe to work, or just staying home. Much of what we pack around with us is extraneous, like too many shoes. The baggage gets heavy and at some point, just too hard to carry through the day to day. Perhaps Old Red has something to teach us all.
In a world that would like to weigh us down with its war and conflict, its judgments and prejudices, its greed and insatiable demand for our souls, why not refuse to carry that kind of baggage. Why should we allow the world to force too much weight on us? And why do we allow ourselves to keep piling baggage we don’t need onto our own shoulders, like resentments, accusations, judgment? Why not travel a little lighter through life? Why not discard as much trial, tribulation and pain as one can do without? Why not simply forgive? Why not simply love? Why not be simply grateful? Even though forgiveness, gratitude and love are powerful enough to change the world, they don’t weigh much at all. In fact, when you embrace all three, the lightness of Spirit makes you feel like you’re walking on air.
Old Red stares at me, daring me to pack lightly on this trip and the Holy Spirit challenges me to travel a little lighter through life. One sock too many, and there goes the zipper. One snap judgment too many, and there goes a relationship. Ok, I get it. I’m taking these out, those out and that. I am packing only what is necessary and leaving behind all that simply feeds my ego or insecurity.
Old Red and I will be travelling lightly as we fly away, feeling free and unencumbered by too much baggage. I pray it will be the same for us when we come home.
We journey together,
Mother Esme+
‘Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body,
what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25)
