Gold is not the only thing
that glitters
John
Goodwin finds treasure in a jam jar.
At a recent Gemboree the sight of wet rocks in a jam jar
brought me to my knees (and it wasn't just because the jar
was on the ground).
'Boulder Opal' says the yellow dot on the lid. Each muddy
rock has a tiny streak, a flash of brilliance, and as you
hold the jar up to the light and turn it around, the wet
flecks of opal come to life. There are glittery greens,
purples, reds and whites coming from within muddy brown
rocks. Stare closely and you can imagine a whole city of
light and colour in the heart of each rock.
I bought the jar for these little moments of promise, and
gentle shaking has revealed even more.
If I had a jam jar of Bible verses then the flashes of
opal would be the miracles, the resurrection appearances and
Jesus' promise, 'I will be with you always'. These would
give opalescent flecks of life, light and colour and they'd
hint at something greater that lies beyond and within.
These are the reward for the one who looks closely.
In my 'School Jar' this year there have been bits of opal
in lots of mudrock. My sparkly moments include Fridays with
the new youth group, afternoons with the lead-lighting group
and chapel services when the 'presence of God' becomes more
than mere words spoken from the front. I remember being
moved by the faith of those who had lost loved ones and by
the joie de vivre of those students and staff who hadn't
lost their humour. Add to the mix those boys who came at
lunchtime to light candles and pray for the miners trapped
underground at Beaconsfield.
These moments gave to the term its seams of life and
brilliance.
Recently, I was showing a class a video on Hindu
pilgrimage. The narrator spoke of sacred places, and 'pools
of sacred time', when the windows of heaven are open, and
when humans and the divine come close together.
His 'pools of sacred time' are my flecks of opal in a jar
of rocks and water. I live for these moments of great
promise and, like you, I don't always recognise them at the
time.
I encourage us all to play around with that jar a bit
more!
The Revd John
Goodwin is chaplain at the Hutchins
School and this article first appeared in the school
magazine Magenta and Black
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