Wednesday 17 October 2007

Once upon a time there was a dark, sprawling forest whose trees seemed to move to and fro in the wind like a vast creaking sea. At the edge of the forest stood a small cottage, painted lemon yellow with polka dot curtains at the windows. Late one night, as the wind blew ragged clouds across the moon, the cottage's curtains twitched, just a touch, and the door opened just a crack. With a loud BANG…

Oh, now I've lost my thread. Don't you just hate that? You get yourself all settled down - favourite armchair, best TV programme…and the phone goes…or the doorbell rings…or the cat wants to be let out. Sometimes it feels like life is what you squeeze in between the interruptions. Or maybe life is just one long interruption, with the occasional moment of calm in between times. Maybe the secret is learning to welcome the interruptions and not resent them.

There's a story in the Bible about Jesus going on a vital mission. A little girl lay dying and time was of the essence. If he didn't get there quickly enough, all would be lost. Just as he pushed his way through the heaving crowd -a woman stepped forward and interrupted him. Her need was very great, she felt, and she wanted to tell him all about it. He stopped, she talked, the little girl's father panicked. What now?

Jesus was calmness itself - meeting her needs, and later attending to the little girl's too. Embracing the interruption rather than brushing it aside somehow meant that everybody won.

Meanwhile, back in the forest, the wind blew, the windows rattled, and the door opened, spilling light onto the mossy ground.