Beams of Love
“We are put on earth a little space, that we may learn to bear the beams of love.”
William Blake
An Orca is a killer whale. The killer whale is the largest member of the dolphin family, known for their distinctive black and white coloring and high intelligence, and are found in every ocean worldwide. There was an Orca in the Salish sea known as T2C2 or “Tumbo.”
He had scoliosis, and would often lag behind his family. He wasn’t able to take part in hunts like the rest of the group, but for more than a decade other whales slowed down and made sure to feed him.
That is what it means to live together in community. It means that when one of us is older and slows down, the rest of us slow down and make sure to feed them with love and kindness and respect. When one of us is younger and full of energy, the rest of us speed up to run alongside them, listen to their ideas, and feed them with love and kindness and respect. And when we meet those people we might not feel comfortable with, who don’t look, vote, or act like us, we still welcome them and feed them with love and kindness and respect.
In the month of January it has been tough to bear the beams of love. We have said goodbye to those we love. We have watched friends who were once strong of body and mind slip into places they would rather not go, like hospital beds and care homes. Our children who were with us during holiday festivals go home to their own lives and we miss them. Those warm winds that swept through town a few weeks back have turned into a bitter winter storm. Yet as we move into February we see glimmers of light shine in those dark places. Good memories can’t be lost. A baptism brings joy. A new baby in the family reminds us that life goes on. As long as we stay together we will never be alone. As long as there is love there is hope.
“We are put on earth a little space, that we may learn to bear the beams of love.”
We are here briefly. We have but a little space to love and be loved. But glimmers of love is all we need, come rain or shine or winter storms, love and one another is always there for the asking, always!
* Somehow, Thoughts on Love, Anne Lamott, Penguin Random House, LLC, p. 111&191
Prayer
Lord, thank you for your love and for those who love us. Teach us to love ourselves and others well. Send us the strength we need when times are tough, standing on your promise that love is all we need and endures all things. Amen