From the Chaplaincy

This week . . .

It is a crisp and cold Tuesday morning, 6:00 a.m. to be precise, with not yet even a hint of dawn in the east. There is a frisson of excitement, and, dare I say, butterflies dancing in the tummies. The hum of conversation accelerates to a buzz and even the occasional shriek of elated laughter. Our Years five and six students are eager to find their seats on the coach destined for Canberra. Some parents are reluctant to part from their children and as the bus pulls away, they mask their emotions behind a tissue. Others are ‘seasoned’ – “been there, done that” and wave goodbye cheerily. 

Many years ago . . .

This takes me back many years to Melbourne Airport. Our eighteen-year-old daughter was about to wing her way alone to London, for a ‘gap’ year.

We had a group hug, so impassioned it left us breathless, and then watched her disappear through the sliding doors into the departure lounge. Totally choked up, I could only describe my feelings as ‘grief stricken’. My every waking thought was distracted by an intense longing for my daughter, until I realised I needed to ‘get a grip’. 

I did what works for me – I went for a long, solitary walk, surrounded by forest, and sat on a rock next to a burbling little creek. 

It was a precious time to connect with that great Invisible Presence which never leaves us. Some call that Presence ‘Good’, or ‘Spirit’. For me, the ‘One Altogether Lovely’ encompasses what God represents. It was a time to be still, to silence the mental clamour, and listen for a comforting message. 

It slipped gently into my consciousness, and the turbulent emotions receded, replaced by a sense of tranquillity and contentment. The essence of the message goes something like this:

Timeless Truth . . .

No-one has the power to either provide or deprive anyone else of their sense of peace, joy, fulfillment, or freedom. These are spiritual values and you already have them in ‘bucketloads’, because they are within. 

What I learned that day was, is, that my joy is never dependent upon being in the company of a particular person, or being in a certain place, or being attached to a prescribed set of circumstances. The ‘within-ness’ of joy, or peace, or love, or whatever values you hold dear, is actually the ‘One Altogether Lovely’ expressing His/Her ‘loveliness’ in you, for you, through you, as loveliness individualised.

In the words of a Christian Science hymn:

Infinite light, bountiful bright,

Is ever present to guide thee.

Beloved and free, eternally,

Perfect peace and joy I provide thee,

For I am the Lord, there is none else;

There is no God beside Me.

The Chaplaincy Team