Lilies of the Field

*** Deutscher Beitrag hier:
Our first of the weekly Bible impulses reached us from the Spanish Island Tenerife, Verena is an ordained  lay preacher and (not just but especially) committed in the conference team of our Bible Dialogue for Church Elders.

"The longer it has been lasting, my thoughts turn more and more to the Bible passage, where we read about gathering treasure and our worries. Jesus spoke about this and Matthew wrote it down.

“See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” Oh those lilies of the field – how I would have loved to see them this year. But after our last church event in my congregation South-Tenerife, that was it. Nothing’s allowed anymore: no hiking, no walks – not even a goodbye to those in our parish who flew home to Germany.

Our perspectives narrow down to our view from the balcony. That view, however is wide and beautiful, all the way to the Isle of Gomera and on a clear day to El Hierro) and the short trips to do our grocery shopping. No chance to see God’s restarting of nature with our own eyes. Not on our “house-mountain”, the Conde, a flat top mount, 1000 m high. On its flat top, a sea of daffodils bloom in March. It hurts a little looking up and not being able to actually go there.

I have stored the glory of those lilies, that Jesus speaks of with admiration, deep in my heart. I know they are there and they wil be there next year. This hope that I will get to hike and see God’s good Creation in all its plenty and diversity here on Tenerife, this hope remains. And my gratitude that God has filled the Foto album of my hide with such treasure.

Thomas Laubach has texted a song that reaches the heart and that has become my prayer in these days:

Grant me, God, a hearing heart
that trusts its ears in this world.
Grant me, God, a seeing heart
that opens my eyes for the world.
Grant me, God, a feeling heart
that is wide open fort he other every day.
Grant me, God, a heart
that lives and beats,
that beats for life.
I send my greetings to all friends of the European Bible Dialogues. God be with you.
Verena Wache, Chayofa/Tenerife

Thank you, Verena. Anyone who may wish to comment is very welcome, either here on the blog or by E-Mail to me hahn@eaberlin.de