“God in a stranger’s hello, God in a raised hand of greeting…” So begins a short daily prayer recently published by the Corrymeela Community in Northern Ireland.  

            The prayer recognizes that COVID-19 restricts many interactions we used to take for granted. 

            It goes on, “Those simple gestures, be it a glance toward a passer–by who looks back with a nod, or a friendly question about what breed of dog you’ve got there, give us moments of connection.”

            As a dog walker, I relate to that prayer. That’s how I too experience life these days. 

            Corrymeela anticipates a return to normal, whatever that is: “When instead of passing by or getting only as far as small talk, we will be able to draw close and learn more from each other.”

            I don’t see that happening. Not anytime soon. COVID-19 will not go away. HIV hasn’t, TB hasn’t. We merely learned how to treat them. Measles hasn’t, in spite of a universally available vaccine. VD hasn’t, despite generations of moral lecturing. 

            COVID-19, or its many mutations, will shape our social interactions for a long time.

History of reconciliation

            Corrymeela House sits on a rocky headland high above the stormy North Atlantic.

            In its early days, Corrymeela brought together groups of young people from the Protestant and Catholic sections of Belfast, kids who had never spoken to, never even met, a member of “the other side.”

            Both groups expected to be murdered in their sleep. 

            But they weren’t. And they built bridges of friendship and understanding across sectarian chasms. 

            Corrymeela had a vision – “an open village where all people of good will could come together and learn to live in community.”

            It hasn’t always been easy. The name Corrymeela could mean “Hill of Harmony.” It could also mean “Lumpy Crossroad.”

Liturgies of connecting

            In this time of social isolation, we act like “ships that pass in the night” -- the only memorable line in an interminable poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow about lovers in a Puritan colony. 

            We exchange signals at a distance. We may know the other “ship’s” name. But we don’t know what kind of emotional baggage it carries, how sturdy its engines are, where it’s headed. 

            And then our paths diverge. 

            I think of another poet: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood… Long I stood, and looked down one as far as I could… then took the other…”

            That’s from Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken.

            Frost doesn’t contend that one road was better than the other. Only that, having made a choice, he can never know where the other road might have led. 

            We’ve all done that. Made a decision. And wondered for the rest of our lives where a different decision might have taken us. 

            We pass people along our way. Sometimes we walk a short distance together. Then we separate. Never encounter each other again. 

            Ships in the night. 

            Sad, isn’t it?

            Until closer relationships are possible, the Corrymeela prayer concludes, “We give thanks for that stranger’s hello and the greeting we offer in kind.”

            Maybe, in these times, it’s enough to celebrate God’s presence through simple gestures -- a smile, a nod, a word. 

            Maybe these are the new liturgy of celebrating the Holy among us.

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Copyright © 2021 by Jim Taylor. Non-profit use in congregations and study groups, and links from other blogs, welcomed; all other rights reserved.

                  To comment on this column, write jimt@quixotic.ca

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YOUR TURN

I didn’t get much mail about living through a power blackout, water cut-off, etc. Much of the mail I did get argued with the letters and responses that I published last week.

            Aside from the occasional exception, I don’t carry extensive rebuttals and counter-arguments. I could, I suppose. British newspapers built subscriptions on the literary battles between George Bernard Shaw and almost anyone. 

            But rebuttals require you to go back to re-read what another reader wrote, and then a week further back to find out what I wrote that provoked the reader. And if the rebuttal leads to a further disagreement….

Isabel Gibson stuck to my theme -- of doing without services we tend to take for granted: “I lived through the Northeast Blackout of 2003 which affected about 55 million people. You're right, it's a humbling experience -- not that I ever entertained visions of self-sufficiency.

            “I was alone in what was then still a strange city to me. The day after, while I waited for power to be restored, a friend from Gatineau called. They had power: Did I want to come over?

            “You're right. Community is essential.”

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Psalm paraphrase

I try to avoid third-person pronouns when writing these Psalm paraphrases. But sometimes it feels too awkward to keep writing “God… God… God…” When I do use a personal pronoun, then, I have to choose between masculine and feminine. In Psalm 111, the feminine felt as if it fitted the context better. 

1          Where should I praise God?  Among God's people, of course!

2          For God does great things.

3          Her work is beautiful; it will not fade away.
Those who can see God's artistry will study it.

4          They will recognize God's reality in their lives.
And she will remember them, 
for God is gracious and kind.

5          God looks after her friends; 
she keeps her promises.

6          She does not flaunt her power, but reveals it in countless daily ways;
she constantly shares her power with her people.

7          God weaves our threads together on the loom of life;
like a seamless garment are God's standards.

8          The works of God's hands will last forever;
Whatever God does is done well.

9          God gathers her people under her wing;
God has made a commitment to us, and she keeps her promises.
She expects us to keep our promises too.

10        A healthy respect for God is the beginning of wisdom;
wisdom will lead to a better relationship with God. 
Let us praise her forever. 

You can find paraphrases of most of the psalms in the Revised Common Lectionary in my book Everyday Psalmsavailable from Wood Lake Publishing, info@woodlake.com.

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TECHNICAL STUFF

If you want to comment on something, send a message directly to me, jimt@quixotic.ca.

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                  I write a second column each Sunday called Sharp Edges, which tends to be somewhat more cutting about social and justice issues. To sign up for Sharp Edges, write to me directly, jimt@quixotic.ca, or send a note to sharpedges-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca

                  And for those of you who like poetry, please check my webpage .https://quixotic.ca/My-Poetry I posted several new poetic works there a few weeks ago. If you’d like to receive notifications about new poems, write me at jimt@quixotic.ca, or subscribe yourself to the list by sending a blank email (no message) to poetry-subscribe@lists.quixotic.ca (If it doesn’t work, please let me know.)

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PROMOTION STUFF

To use the links in this section, you’ll have to insert the necessary symbols. Some spam filters have blocked my posts because they’re suspicious of some of the web links.

                  Wayne Irwin's “Churchweb Canada,” an inexpensive service for any congregation wanting to develop a web presence, with free consultation. http://wwwDOTchurchwebcanadaDOTca He’s also relatively inexpensive!

                  I recommend Isabel Gibson’s thoughtful and well-written blog, wwwDOTtraditionaliconoclastDOTcom. She also has lots of beautiful photos. Especially of birds.

                  Tom Watson writes a weekly blog called “The View from Grandpa Tom’s Balcony” -- ruminations on various subjects, and feedback from Tom’s readers. Write him at tomwatsoATgmailDOTcom (NB that’s “watso” not “watson”)

ALVA WOOD’S ARCHIVE

                  I have acquired (don’t ask how) the complete archive of the late Alva Wood’s collection of satiric and sometimes wildly funny columns about a mythical village’s misadventures. I’ve put them on my website: http://quixotic.ca/Alva-Wood-Archive. You’re welcome to browse. No charge. (Although maybe if I charged a fee, more people would find the archive worth visiting.)