FINDING BALANCE IN AN UNBALANCED WORLD
(in the last week of Easter season, 1 June 2022)
As I sit to write this prayer page, I am alone. There are no human voices around me. The occasional bird song breaks the quiet as does the sound of the wind. I should enjoy this peace, but I am unsettled. Too much quiet can put me off balance.
So, I think of the Easter voices of recent weeks.
The Palm Sunday voices. Crowds called out and praised Jesus as their King. Hosanna!! Hosanna!! Swept up by the emotion of others, I can cry out as well. This is Jesus, my King, I believe. Part of me though, just wants to belong, to be part of something bigger than me.
And the voices change on Good Friday – Crucify him!! Crucify him!! The same crowd, again swept up by all powerful emotion. But, what is my position here? Do I belong in this crowd? Where is my balance?
I think of the empty tomb on Easter Sunday – Christ is risen, Alleluia!! This amazing event in history took place in the quiet stillness of an enclosed tomb. In that holy stillness, Jesus rose from the dead, leaving the shroud and the linen wrappings. And the tombstone rolled away. Christ’s resurrection, I think, took place in the stillness where there were no voices. At that moment, a balance was achieved that would become a starting point for those who can recognise it. That stillness is so precious, for with the arrival of the women, a new humanity crashed in, demanding a response from us.
And so, Easter looks like an adoration, a condemnation, a crucifixion and the most fantastic miracle. To find my balance in all this, I am called back into the stillness of that cave.
Earlier this year, the protesting crowds outside our NZ Parliament contained similar voices. In the early days, people were happy. They sang protest songs, carried banners and the sun shone. The crowds were addressed by speakers but the mood was peaceful, non aggressive. And I watched on with some fascination at this event.
Days later, the mood changed and the same crowd became angry. Self appointed leaders whipped up the emotion into violence and fire. And my fascination turned to horror and sadness at this chaos.
No stillness followed though– there was no chance to find a balance here.
So, where do we look to find our balance, so that we can make sense of our world in these challenging times?
I think the answer is found in the following words from 1 Kings 19:12-
‘’There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before Yahweh. But Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But Yahweh was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But Yahweh was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave…”
Let these words touch you and reflect on:
What does the stillness of the Easter tomb hold for you? What does Resurrection offer you?
Or Imagine sitting at the entrance to your cave…. enter into the scene described in 1 Kings 19:12 Ponder where you seek God… wait for God’s presence in the silence
How and where do you find balance in your spirituality? And in your life?
Michaela Stack, Cenacle Companion, Waikanae