Over the last few weeks, I have taken part in a small online learning community focused on the topic of 'Emotional Logic.' You can find out more about it here, but basically it's a tool to help you to see emotions less as a chaotic swirl and more as a series of stepping stones that are leading you somewhere. One of the things I found very helpful about this way of looking at emotions was to see feelings of loss as a way of identifying our values, or what is important to us.
Today - as I met with a team to discuss creating an online alternative to the course we were hoping to run - I thought again about loss emotions as signposts for our values. It is really fascinating to experience this combined global grief over loss of in-person connection. Suddenly, it seems like such a gift for us all to share this opportunity to recognise just how important it is for us to be together ... how much we love to share meals around the table ... how important it is for us to create common memories through shared experiences ... how much we value working together in person and the synergy that brings when we each offer our gifts in this shared learning space.
While I know right now it feels like we all need to scramble in order to be prepared for an uncertain future, I wonder if we could just take a moment to notice this. We are made for relationship. We love connection. We care about the unique contribution different colleagues, or family members, or community people bring to the table. We see and appreciate that gift in them. And we want to be with them so that we can enjoy that together. That is a really good and beautiful thing, it's a good and strong value. It's the kind of value upon which a really generative life can be built.
I love that, don't you?
And maybe it's a really good and beautiful thing that we all have to seek out new and creative ways to hold onto that value, ways to allow that value to inform our lives when we are unable to be together.
- Like the community who are finding ways to make soup in a brewery, to offer to those in need.
- Like the dozens of leaders of mission teams in Europe, all trying to connect on Facebook live today, via Zoom, because they want to learn and grow together (in spite of technical challenges!).
- Like the friend who delivered a gift bag for Manu, with ice lollies for her swollen mouth and a book for her to read.
And all the hundreds of examples of sharing, creating, and caring that are happening all over the world as people look for ways to be connected. It's pretty remarkable, really, to see this value for relationship rise to the surface.
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It rained today. I made a fire. In the middle of May - crazy.
Tim made a sourdough version of the 'pan de pueblo' normally available in the shops. It was much more delicious than the shop-bought version.
[Photo credit: Keziah]
Manu isn't her normal self but she attended school and came with me for a short walk, after the rain stopped. Thanks to those who are praying for her.
We're having a hard time convincing the girls not to get worked up when they see the neighbours having people over. It feels like an injustice to them when we are trying to keep the rules.
I saw a friend - a real live friend, in the flesh - today (from a distance as she dropped her gift for Manu). It felt surreal: so momentous, I wanted to fling my arms around her; and such an anti-climax to only exchange a few words and then say goodbye again. Weird but still wonderful.
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