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| The White Rabbit by John Tenniel, 1890 |
This post is part of an on-going Lenten series that began Ash Wednesday.
"Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side,while he dismissed the crowds.
And after had had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray.
When evening came, he was there alone," (Matthew 14:22-23)
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"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)
Can I name one of the faces in the crowd? Not the crowd "out there" - but someone from the "inner crowd" of heart and soul?
Today I recognize the one in my crowd who is always in a hurry. Like the White Rabbit in Wonderland, there is an aspect of me that is always late and running behind. The hurry works its way inside and I am hurried in spirit. Always too much to do and never enough time to do it. This is the part of me that needs to take a deep breath, pause and start again. And in those pauses, there is a reminder that I can move in a gentle, unhurried way.
In John Tenniel's illustration, I see the White Rabbit is so focused on keeping time that he is missing everything else around him. What do I miss when I'm focused solely on making the most of every minute? It seems our culture places such a high value on efficiency and getting things done quickly, that we miss out on the gifts of noticing and living with a meandering pace.
Today's vista and prayer:
- Do you ever catch yourself hurrying when you don't need to? Have you adapted to a pace of life that seems to be in a constant rush?
- How does Tenniel's illustration speak to you?
- We pray: Jesus, long ago you dismissed the crowd to be alone with God. On another occasion you saw the crowd and were moved with compassion. Help me extend compassion to my hurried self . Let me find a more gracious pace in your presence. Amen.
