Dear Family: My Beautiful Earworm

Dear Family:

This weekend, as I meandered through my early Saturday morning, I spent a moment looking at Facebook memories ~ something that I used to do regularly, but rarely revisit in this season of my life. One fun thing that pops up fairly frequently is old video of the Westminster West church choir. I always felt a little silly being the videographer while also being the pastor, but anyone familiar with small churches will know that most people must wear many hats. Any awkwardness I felt at the time is balanced by my gratitude for the fact that I now have the footage, some of which is a historical record of Malcolm moving from treble to alto to baritone over the years. I will always pause in my browsing to sit with those old videos of dear friends and a sweet young son singing spirit-filled music.

Anyway, this weekend’s memories included the choir singing the song “Enemy of Apathy,” by John Bell and Graham Maule of the Iona Community, which is a beautiful meditation on the attributes of the Holy Spirit. (Lyrics below…) I don’t think I had heard it since that one time the choir sang it, but I went forward into my morning with the tune lilting through my brain. It became a bit of an earworm, but not an unwelcome one as it suited my mood, which was pensive, grateful, and a bit weary. (My God, who could be anything other than weary in this world we’re living in, with the constant chaos and cruelty that we encounter with shocking regularity?)

I brought my beautiful earworm with me to Green Mountain Orchard for another round of early morning blueberry picking, and it wrapped itself around me accompanied by the buzzing of the bees and the songs of the nearby birds. I don’t know the words well enough to have sung the whole thing to myself, and I’m mostly opposed to listening to music while I pick, so I couldn’t remind myself through repetition. The closing stanza stayed with me, though:

“For she is the Spirit, one with God in essence,

gifted by the Saviour in eternal love;

and she is the key opening the scriptures,

enemy of apathy and heavenly dove.”

I stayed where I was long enough to pick about 3 pounds of berries from just one bush before some other pickers came to pick RIGHT next to me (Really, people? There are thousands of berry bushes, and you chose to stand four feet away and verbally process the whole picking experience?!?!). When it became just too much for me to bear, I headed home, honoring my post-sabbatical practice of taking the long way home whenever possible.

And so, as I drove south on Route 5 towards home, pondering the idea that the Holy Spirit is the enemy of apathy, I came upon a new sign at a home that routinely has hand-made spray-painted political signs. I don’t know who lives there, but I have noticed that they change the content of their signs fairly regularly to keep up with the news. I appreciate their commitment to their ideals (which I happen to share, making the appreciation easier, I suppose), and love that they use the pulpit they have ~ a corner that lots of people have little choice but to drive by ~ to use their voice and courageously share their message via large-print signs.

A spray-painted sign leans against a white clapboard house. The sign reads “Release th Epstein Files” in large letters.

We’re living in such a divided and divisive world, and my inherent love of harmony makes me want to want to listen in order to better understand those with whom I disagree, but I recognize that that is a privilege that comes with being who I am in this world. It is certainly no time to be a doormat or an appeaser, and despite the potential value of listening, it’s easy for that to slide into doing nothing to address the wrongs of the world. Some days it may feel tempting to just tend to my own little garden, live my own small life, and focus on beauty and inner peace, but that can easily be a dodge. The world needs people of good will to have courage and to speak up.

The song, my beautiful earworm, reminded me of something important: the God of my belief may well not be counting on me to solve every problem, right every wrong, and bring order out of chaos. That’s true. The God of my belief does not dwell in judgment at all times, and does not focus on condemnation. That said, Spirit calls us all to be co-conspirators in the movement that seeks to create a more just and kind world. In an age of undeniable damage caused by cruelty, by constricted hearts, and by selfishness, the song reminded me that the Holy Spirit is opposed to apathy ~ in fact, she is the enemy of apathy. We do not get to do nothing: it’s not an option!

So the questions I ask myself are these: What can I learn from the inhabitants of that house on Route 5? Where is my metaphorical house on a well-trafficked corner? What is my spray-painted sign, large enough for passers by to read and reflect? Where is my pulpit and what is the message worthy of our times?

Apathy is simply not an option in these times.

May we all be lion-hearted in courageously entering the fray, speaking truth to power, and daring to be disruptive.

love,

Susie

Enemy of Apathy, by John Bell & Graham Maule

She sits like a bird, brooding on the waters,
hovering on the chaos of the world’s first day;
she sighs and she sings, mothering creation,
waiting to give birth to all the Word will say.

She wings over earth, resting where she wishes,
lighting close at hand or soaring through the skies;
she nests in the womb, welcoming each wonder,
nourishing potential hidden to our eyes.

She dances in fire, startling her spectators,
waking tongues of ecstasy where dumbness reigned;
she weans and inspires all whose hearts are open,
nor can she be captured, silenced or restrained.

For she is the Spirit, one with God in essence,
gifted by the Saviour in eternal love;
and she is the key opening the scriptures,
enemy of apathy and heavenly dove.