The ocean waves were pounding on the shoreline today. My puffer jacket and a hot coffee were the only things that stood between me and the icy breeze. I sat in solitude until a little bird inquisitively came to sit at my table. He looked me right in the eye almost politely asking for a crumb from my muffin. I dare not show him any favours though. The sea gulls were nearby ready to swoop at any moment if they saw any sign of weakness.

It was Mother’s Day 1983. I awoke to a chilly morning in Toronto. My mother was thousands of miles away. I had received an invitation to have lunch with a family from the congregation. In that family, there was a mother; her name was Ann.

Harry Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, and hastened the end of the war in the Pacific. When the bomb exploded, at least 150,000 people were killed or maimed. The legacy for the generations that followed has been horrendous.

Recently I came across a book with the title “I Was Just Wondering” and it reminded me of a wonderful church hymn from our current hymnbook Community of Christ Sings (“CCS”) number 176, “Teach Me God to Wonder”. You may like to look it up. This set me wondering about a number of items.

I have been associated with a number of universities for more than four decades. I have probably attended more than fifty graduation ceremonies in that time.

Retreating has been in our church’s DNA since the beginning, so it was only a matter of time before our online Tuesday church gatherings decided to start retreating in person once a year in the winter. This year marked our third winter retreat together. Thirteen of us journeyed from four different states to a large house at Lake Eildon in the cold Victorian High Country. 

During my private reflections, the name of Caleb came into my mind.  So, I went to my Bible to remind myself about his life and influence he had on the people of Israel.  I found snippets of his story, although brief, in the Books of Joshua and Numbers and was impressed by the strong faith he demonstrated in his God, a lesson that we could all learn from.

Excerpt from Daily Bread Devotions Community of Christ

He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

We sat in silence for a time, bearing witness to her sadness. Her poem spoke of joy hidden within the pain. It held all her grief, joy, tears, laughter, and family. We had our hearts opened to her heartbreak – and sensed the suffering behind her words. Finally, to break the silence, we attempted a response. “We can all relate to this,” said one person. “Life is all about the hills and valleys and finding joy in the moments between.”