Thought for the Week – 20/09/2020

In praise of spontaneity

The day dawns fine and clear. Unexpectedly, there is a window in my diary; the expected work has not yet materialised. I have a day of freedom!

A few months ago, there were endless opportunities when this happened. I do recall some years ago when the trains were in chaos with the line to Birmingham likely to be blocked for hours. What happened immediately after the “abandon hope all ye who enter here” announcement on the station is still mysterious to me; the next thing I remember was pulling on my walking boots at the foot of Tryfan, a mountain in Snowdonia and having a very enjoyable day on the hills.

One of the less remarked effect of Covid is that our ability to opt for leisure activities on the spur of the moment have been significantly curtailed. With the easing of lockdown (for the moment!), a day in the hills is now possible. However, a trip to a museum is now much harder, with most establishments requiring advanced booking. Of course, it is just a minor irritation, but it does remind me of a lost freedom.

Spontaneity can be a great joy; it opens up a world of unexpected opportunities and pleasures. It allows us to delight in the world, to experience joy in ways we never imagined. Jesus spoke of how the wind, that is the Holy Spirit, blows where it will; I think by that he was telling us that God also acts on the spur of the moment, in ways which we cannot imagine. Whilst some of our spontaneity has, currently, to be restricted we should still treasure what we have and expect to see God at work in the unplanned.

Rev David Poyner