During a recent visit to a place in higher altitude, I got a glimpse of the change of season setting in, earlier than what we experience in the valley. The brilliant sky with the moon still visible at twilight and misty air with reduced visibility of the vegetations, gave a romantic bliss to nature.
A walk in to the wild with thick overgrowth of grass, weeds, bushes and trees gave yet another look of the early days of winter. The foliage and flowers were covered in dew which gave a spectacular look of dew cover.
The spider web smeared in dew and the dripping grass with dew drops added to the richness in its brilliant display of colours of all hues in the morning sun.
A walk on such an occasion through the grass and bushy overgrowth gives a respectful regard for nature around us, which we often see it from a utilitarian perspective.
On my return, when I opened the hymn book, I found a hymn by an unknown author, which gave a new flavour to such sights that move us from within:
"We thank Thee, Lord, for eyes to see
The beauty of the earth;
For ears to hear the words of love
And happy sounds of mirth.
For minds that find new thoughts to think
New wonders to explore;
For health and freedom to enjoy
The good that Thou has in store.
Help us to remember that to some
The eye, ear and mind
Bring sights and sounds of ugliness
And only sadness find;
Help us to remember that to them
The world has seemed unfair;
That we must strive to give them
The beauty all may share.
O may our eyes be open, Lord,
To see our neighbour's need;
And may eyes be kept alert
Their cries for help to heed;
Make keen our minds to plan the best
For one another's good,
That all the world may be at last
One friendly neighbourhood".
When I heard stories from a hospital how it is reaching out to people in need in Manipur and Myanmar, I felt the resonance of the hymn within. This hospital is making facilities for students from these places to come and get trained in nursing and allied health sciences. What an act of thoughtfulness and alertness to see and respond to the needs of others!
This to me is the effect of an attentive presence to see, hear, feel and reflect on the richness that we are blessed with, that an overflowing from the abundance of what we have received to think of others becomes almost natural.
Our experiences touch and renew us. It is from that enlightened view we can perceive what surrounds us and choose to live mindfully of others. No blessing is therefore a private for personal advancement. We are given in order that we can share !
The clear sky, misty morning and the dew covered sights brought an awareness of the joys. It brought a call to think of others who long for a glimpse of such an experience!
The advent of 2024 begins today, which is a season of welcoming the Christmas experience of recollections of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The shepherds in the field who received the announcement of the birth of Jesus responded with a visit to meet the new born baby! They were ready to be awakened to a new experience of the joy of life !
During the Christmas season, the hundreds who live displaced from their homes in Manipur, many of them without their homes to return to, are like those shepherds who live watching over their flock with hope fading away with 18 months of ethnic travail and emotional trauma!
The two white pigeons which I spotted during the walk reminded me of hope of peace that inspires !
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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