Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28)
I tried to write this four times during the service, and I kept having to delete it because it kept coming back to the same place. I had never encountered God in a physical place. I did not feel connected to place. I did not feel connected to God.
I had encountered God in people before, in thoughts and ideas and words, but not place. I wondered if trauma prevented me from physically connecting in general. Whenever a place felt safe I didn’t seem to want God to be part of it. I wondered why I could never seem to know God.
God is a butterfly. I know it’s meant to be about place. God is any butterfly that you see, anywhere around our area, all of the places that butterflies like to be in.
When I was trying to think about encountering God, all I could think of was this time where there was a butterfly, but it’s not my story to tell, but it made me feel like God was there and everything was not ok, but it would be.
I was actually quite upset about not connecting with God. It takes a lot to connect with anyone, and God has been present in my life for so long as a controlling, scary, angry, vindictive force.
I am trying to see God as being more like a butterfly. Gentle.
The day after I tried to write this four times I was at kinder and there was a butterfly, all alone under a table. And it was so gentle that it climbed on my finger and stayed there, and when I took it outside, it still stayed on my finger. Then it let a child hold it for a bit, and then while we clapped in admiration, it flew away. Ω
What is this? Lent is the 40 days, excluding Sundays, before Easter. Traditionally it is a time of reflection and pilgrimage. To help you on this journey, Sanctuary has put together daily stories and images from people in the congregation which are focused on God in this place. Why this theme? Read this! #Lent2023. Our Spiritual Geography © Sanctuary, 2023. Sanctuary is based on Peek Whurrong country. Full acknowledgement of country here.
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