Pilgrim's Post with Wisdom & Wonder

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Transcript:​

Wisdom:  Is that you, Wonder?  Oh, you know what I want to do?

Wonder:  Step back about 6 feet, you, know, for comfort?

Wisdom:  Oh you are so funny!  I sure miss seeing you!

Wonder:  Me too, you better be ready, this won’t last forever.

Wisdom:  I sure hope you’re right, but then, you usually are. 

Wonder:  I know. So tell me how have you been and how has your life changed with this whole virus thing?

Wisdom:  I am doing well, but things have really changed for all of us, haven’t they?

Wonder:  Remember some time ago when we were talking and this crazy Abe guy started singing, “nothing really changes, everything remains the same...” and whatever we were thinking at the time, we kind of agreed with him. But now it’s more like “everything’s really changed”!

Wisdom:  Who would have known that the whole world would be living the same story?  When has that ever happened?

Wonder:  Never!  At least not while I’ve been alive.  It seems like we’re all feeling the changes differently, not just talking about countries, but people, even in my family. 

Wisdom:  It’s like each country and each person has their own personality and it comes out in how they deal with this.

Wonder:  Yeah, well, what I missed most was how I didn’t have volleyball and didn’t get to hang out with my friends.  The worst thing that was cancelled for me was sports, especially since all my favourite sports teams were doing so good.  How about you Wisdom, what did you miss?

Wisdom:  Well, I do miss getting together with friends and worship with our Highland community.  You know, Wonder, I almost feel a bit guilty saying this, but it’s like I am on this lovely extended vacation with all kinds of space and time to do so much that I enjoy.  It’s like a gift to me.

Wonder:  I wouldn’t say it’s a gift to me.  Well, it goes to show how different we are!  But I like what you are saying about this time and space as an opportunity.  Maybe, I need to focus more at the better things rather than the worse ones.

Wisdom:  That sounds good, Wonder.  No matter who we are it is so important for us to be able to, well, know and understand ourselves, learning to listen, be kind, and love ones self.

Wonder:  Whoa Wisdom, now you’re taking this talk to a whole new level!  Who has time for that?

Wisdom:  I thought that you might, Wonder.

Wonder:  Well, you’ve got me thinking.......like maybe I need to stop trying  to make things “normal” and try to kind of let go of things that I’m so used to and just be and wonder. 

Wisdom:  Yeah, it’s like maybe we need to learn to walk in the dark rather than going for all the light switches before we adjust. 

Wonder:  Wow, so even in the dark we could still see.  And even find new things out about myself, and how I should treat others, and yeah, wonder about God.  Not being so busy, maybe I could practice that more, even in the day light.

Wisdom:  Now, you’ve just taken things to a whole new level.

Wonder:  You do this to me.  Now here’s something for you to think about.  So for you, this Covid time seems like a wide open space of freedom, even a gift!  And then there’s those who feel like prisoners in a cage.  Now in all your wisdom, how do you free people from their prisons? Or help them in their prisons?

Wisdom:  An easy question. Haha.  At least I have you working with me.  Here goes.  Everything about this season tells me of the important need to practice living in this “in-between”, embrace the now!

Wonder:  I’ve heard someone, I think maybe it was J, speaking of “kingdom living” as both, “already” and “not yet”.   That’s what you’re talking about isn’t it?  It’s about fully embracing the here and now.   That kind of living can get your imagination brewing on the “not yet” of our journey together. 

Wisdom:  That is so wise, Wonder.  You’re right, it’s not skipping the scary and dark time but living into it.   We have already seen the beauty of people responding in love during this difficult time.  Let’s not just be restored to how we were before this started but be transformed.   

Wonder:  Restored, Transformed, those are big words.  I’m with you, let’s go with transformed.  Sounds like that’s the work of love. 

Wisdom:  I’m all in.   Let’s practice loving ourselves, our neighbours and God in our beautiful world? 

Wonder:  And if God is like we imagine and talk about, we know that God is in the middle of it all with us.  And yeah, to be free, I guess it’s good to not pity ourselves so much.  I’m thinking of the hundreds of thousands of people that have suffered and died and all their families and friends who will miss them forever.  We can sit quietly remembering them.

Wisdom:  Now I know what I’ve missed.  These wonderful conversations with you!  We are so rich, actually we’re lucky bums!

-- Abe Buhler