As I walked into the church office on Wednesday morning, my mind was focused on the things I needed to be working on and accomplish. Then my attention was caught by the sound of children’s voices outside near the Community Garden pods.
We have partnered with Mike Schneider of Project Pickle and the local elementary school who have been planting and harvesting for three years now. The squeals of joy caught my attention so I followed the sounds to find the children harvesting potatoes and carrots.
As I said hello to them, one of the children offered me a couple of potatoes. It was wonderful to see the excitement and joy these children were experiencing having gotten their hands dirty in the planting and now the harvesting.
It is so easy for us to be overwhelmed by the noise of busyness and competing values expressed through world politics, market activity, human/social rights debates and even religious fervor.
The sad reality is this can all too easily block out our time, energy and attentiveness to the sounds, activity and engagement inherent with Joy and laughter, co-operation across cultures, welcome/hospitality of friends and strangers, and blessings through wide ranging relationships.
Perhaps days of celebration like Canada Day (that’s today), Worship and Sabbath (that’s Saturday and Sunday) may provide space and time for our attention to be caught listening for Joy. May it be so.
