Shrinking circles
I have become aware in recent months how quickly the circle we live in can shrink. The circle could be social, career or family orientated. One of my sons enjoys the changing seasons. On Sunday night he invited me for a ride in the Suffolk countryside. Much of Suffolk is arable country and, as it was a beautiful summer evening, I readily accepted the invitation. We drove past a hayfield already baled and, as far as the eye could see, our panoramic view was of fields either ready or nearly ready to be harvested. We reminisced of the fun we all had as a family at harvest time. We would all ride for miles looking for combines and corn carts, as well as the Bird’s Eye pea viners. My son now does that with his children.
I thought how quickly our horizons seem to get smaller as we get older or are affected by the circumstances we may find ourselves in. As that circumference shrinks, giving a smaller circle, we could find that we focus more upon the things that matter. The downside of this, though, is that the circle shrinks too much and everything in it seems to retreat, leaving us either in a vacuum or a tight corner. The other thing that could happen to the circumference of our circle is that it becomes fragile. At an extreme point of fragility, it could collapse and we find ourselves going to pieces. When life becomes tough it is important to secure that circumference by increasing our faith, always living in hope and having love at the centre. These three things enable us to keep reaching out rather than imploding. I like the passage from Romans which says:
I thought how quickly our horizons seem to get smaller as we get older or are affected by the circumstances we may find ourselves in. As that circumference shrinks, giving a smaller circle, we could find that we focus more upon the things that matter. The downside of this, though, is that the circle shrinks too much and everything in it seems to retreat, leaving us either in a vacuum or a tight corner. The other thing that could happen to the circumference of our circle is that it becomes fragile. At an extreme point of fragility, it could collapse and we find ourselves going to pieces. When life becomes tough it is important to secure that circumference by increasing our faith, always living in hope and having love at the centre. These three things enable us to keep reaching out rather than imploding. I like the passage from Romans which says:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:35-39)
(Romans 8:35-39)
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
(1 Corinthians 13:13)
(1 Corinthians 13:13)
Merle Sparkes
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