During the transition to the day break yesterday, I happened to notice the above sights in our garden. The flowers with their brightness and contrasting presence in a green canvas, drew me to watch them and go near them.
That led me to notice a butterfly moving between foliage of plants. It did not seem to be in search of flowers for its nectar. It was while tracking the movements of the butterfly I spotted a Parakeet and a Greater Coucal in the garden.
At day break, which is a transition time in nature, the nature comes alive to its ornamental look, which fades into its usual appearance in the bright sunshine.
This transition is a time when the leaves get dried of the condensed water, which settled on the them during the night. The butterfly was feeding from the water drops from the leaves. The regular movements of the visiting birds to the garden would start soon after the day break. The silence of the morning would soon get interrupted by bird calls and movements. How in about half an hour, the stillness gets interrupted and birds come to announce of the new day and the start of new rhythm of the day!
On my return to my study, I happened to read the text from John's gospel, chapter 14, the first nine verses. Thomas and Philip were in a conversation with Jesus of Nazareth, perhaps a few days before the passover, when Jesus had the last supper with his disciples. Thomas spoke about his uncertainty about where Jesus was going even though Jesus was progressively preparing the disciples for the crucifixion journey. Philip in anxiety said, 'Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us'. Both of them were overcome with the fear of transition, when Jesus was not going to be with them in a physical form after the crucifixion.
During the transition of the day break, nature and avian life come alive to announce a new day and its fullness. The followers of Jesus was overcome with the fear and stress of transition.
It helped me to take time to revisit the way I feel at day break. Is it the sense of anticipation or anxiety of the unknown that is dominant in my consciousness! I confess, that anxious thoughts dominate me. The electricity gets interrupted on a few occasions, while the water is being pumped from the well to irrigate the garden. Each time the power supply is cut off, there is wave of anxiety. As I traced the triggers for anxiety, I realised that it is a habit that has come to stay!
The butterfly and birds begin their day with no certainty about their source of food, water and shelter. But they fly and move about as usual.
Thomas and Philip expressed anxiety about Jesus not being present with them in sight. Jesus was preparing His followers to live by faith and not by sight alone.
The morning breaks each day after the darkness of the night. It is an authentic statement of what is to follow after every night. It is a good illustration of the certainty of things to happen.
As one gets older, the tendency is to waver, doubt and be uncertain. I felt lifted to experience that there is certainty about what cannot be seen. They exist and it is the optic of faith that brings comfort!
I confess that there is weariness and doubt when one person gets re-elected as the president of Russia for the sixth term in suspicious circumstances. When a few politicians in the USA and India follow similar sinister practices to get re-elected, our faith in goodness around us gets shaken!
Th history of humans has its beginning and convergence in God of our lives! That thought is faith generating!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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