Today I sat in my garden in the glorious sunshine that seems to have been absent for so long. Potential signs of the end of winter, the promise perhaps of spring. As I sat supping my cup of tea, closing my eyes to drink in the warmth of the sun, the delicate tune of a robin caught my attention. How delightfully beautiful it was; how absorbing and fluid; liquid gold.
Opening my eyes I searched for a sight of the little creature; it was surely somewhere in the tree close-by. Each time the song ceased I waited, ready to begin looking when it began again. But despite my searching, I couldn’t see it anywhere. As my gaze flitted between the branches, I realised that I was no longer listening, no longer absorbed by or even noticing the delicacy of the song. My seeking eyes had become my focus, not treasuring the moment or absorbing the beauty.
I guess if I’m honest I was also mildly irritated that my son could see him, pick him out amongst the branches and twigs. He tried to direct my gaze but the sight eluded me.
We have a choice so often. To absorb or to analyse and understand.
I was distracted from the song of the robin by looking for its feathered form. My mild irritation that someone else could locate it had the potential to drag me further from the essence of the moment. This was my choice. Absorb. Enjoy. Savour. Or to miss the moment because of the drive to understand.
Is our experience of ‘the other’, of ‘God’ paralleled here? Do we sense something bigger, other than ourselves, then distract from the moment by trying to explain it? Do we always need to be able to describe it, perhaps even give in to the temptation to work out why it’s happening, so that we can re-create it on a future occasion? What is it about us that makes us want to trap and understand rather than breathe in and absorb?
Watch for the next time you sense something deep in an event or image. Recognise that you have a choice. Take a slow, deep breath; be there, rather than searching for the words to describe or explain. It is your moment; potentially a supernatural moment, which could so easily be buried or missed.