As I write this entry for my blog, I am staring out of my second story window overlooking rolling fields of green dotted by sheep and goats. Such has been my bedroom view for nearly 9 weeks. The site of newborn lambs, kid goats, and the occasional family of badgers who come out after dusk remind me that I am in an environment that is very different from life in the big city (if Fresno can be called a big city). Rural England has provided me with much needed shelter from the sound of traffic, blaring music, telephones and the constant chatter of people so that I could enter into these 90 days without outside distraction. And, just in case that environment was not enough to convince me of the importance of slowing my pace, the weather here has imposed itself in such a way as to prevent me from doing more than I should! In the month of May alone, we received four inches of rain. Even as I sit at my computer writing these words, we have been hit with another rainstorm. The wind makes its way through the old windows of this building howling as it passes through. The rain batters the roof creating a constant rhythm which can lull one to sleep! The clouds are dark and threatening and pass over as on some quick journey to another place. Yet, even as I begin to lament the wet weather, the sun will peak out for a brief moment to remind us that it is still present and that, in time, it will invite us outside to enjoy the warmth of its rays. In the meantime, we are encouraged to remain still and let nature have her way. I am reminded that I am only one small part of a big world (and even bigger cosmos) which God has wondrously brought into being.
In today’s session, we heard how God’s plan of salvation includes all of creation. Even the smallest parts of creation play some role in the unfolding of God’s plan of redemption and salvation. Each aspect of the created world is interconnected and interdependent (as we are seeing now in the environmental issues confronting us). But the centerpiece of this eternal plan is the human person who finds his/her identity and meaning in the person of Jesus. In Jesus, we see a person who was one with the created world. He valued all life and, in his suffering, death and resurrection, he redeemed all life. Not only did Jesus’ work of salvation bring hope and new life to the human person, but to all creation. As St. Paul writes in Romans: “All creation groans as it awaits its redemption.” That redemption is made possible through the person of Jesus whose reign is embracing all of the universe and its parts. This is what we proclaim in our Creed when we say of Christ, “through him all things were made.”
How interesting that such a leap of faith can be made by simply pausing and reflecting on the beauty of the world around us! In the face of creation, we can only stand in awe of the Creator whose love has been made known to us in the person of Jesus— the Lord of heaven and earth. This is what has been shared with me over the course of these past several weeks in both rain and shine.
I am thankful for the time I have been here and hope to bring the spirit of this experience back with me to my ministry
Fr. Perry
