A time of reflection
I have always been fascinated by the concept of time: how quickly it disappears when you are having a good time and how slowly it passes when all you want is to get something over and done with! As a teenager, I used the words of the Pink Floyd song ‘Time’ for the very first reflection I led at my local youth group. ”Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day. Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way…. And then one day you find ten years have got behind you. No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.”
At the moment we are all conscious of time one way or another. We think about what has gone, what is happening now and what might lie ahead. We realise that we may have taken a lot of things for granted in the past, especially now that we cannot access them… travel, commodities, family etc.. Now, in the present time, we feel vulnerable and we lament what we have lost whilst trying to be thankful for the small things we have and the big sacrifices others are making. As for the future, what will the world be like? Is life changed forever or will we slip back into old habits?
One of the Bible texts I used all those years ago was this: " For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by.” (Psalm 90:4) In fact the Psalms are full of phrases which are really pertinent today. Some look back in time and lament things that have been lost, others look to the future and to what God will do. Some bring us hope, comfort and encouragement and yet others say thank you to God for his unfailing care.
There are 150 of them, each with words that will be right for us at one time or another in our lives. They give us permission to lament, to be angry. They offer solace and hope as we put our trust in God. In fact, the Psalm that lies at the very centre of the Bible say this: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put your confidence in Man.” (Psalm 118:8)
Why not take a look for yourself? If you do, or if you already know the Psalms well, I wonder which one speaks most clearly to you during this strange time that we find ourselves in today?
Revd. Christine Fulcher Church of Scotland South Kintyre Team Ministry Serving the Parishes of Carradale, Campbeltown Highland and Southend