Richard Coles was ‘a minister of Christ in the richest neighbourhood in possibly the richest city in the world’ – St Paul’s Knightsbridge. He describes the opulence… but ‘it was one of the hardest places that I’ve ever had to minister… (the riches) become a barrier between them and their deepest needs.’
Musing… What are our deepest needs; how do we break down barriers that prevent us from meeting those needs?
Yesterday my friend Rebecca wrote:
‘6 years ago today… we each chose to take a chance on the other. Two broken individuals with lots of emotional baggage and old wounds. The past 6 years have been absolute chaos, with lots of physical and emotional storms to weather… but through it all, there has always been love. Love for each other, for our children, and for God. Life happens, and it isn’t easy, …but neither of us ever has to face anything alone, because we have each other, stumbling through life together, side by side, hand in hand.’
We visited Fountains Abbey, the largest monastic ruins in the country. The abbey was founded in 1132 by 13 monks who took vows of poverty, simplicity, obedience, chastity and silence. They introduced ‘lay brothers’ (now called ‘labourers’) to farm the land, giving the monks more time to dedicate to God.
They lived by St Benedict’s Rule that states: ‘Idleness is the enemy of the soul. For this reason the brethren should be occupied at certain times in manual labour and at other times in sacred reading.’
Henri Nouwen says: ‘The Christian life does not take away our loneliness; it protects and cherishes it as a precious gift.’
WOW!!
‘The awareness of loneliness might be a gift we must protect and guard, because our loneliness reveals to us our inner emptiness that can be destructive when misunderstood, but filled with promise for him who can tolerate its sweet pain.’
Needs… barrier breakers? Rebecca points to love… the monks point to labour… Henri Nouwen points to loneliness.
malcolmsmusings.org 
Loneliness reminds us this isn’t our true home. It’s a longing for heaven.
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You’re right, Joy. Sometimes, though, I find it the theory easier than the practice!
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I love all of these barrier breakers, Malcolm. You share the most wonderful truths of God, life, love,….i particularly appreciated the loneliness idea. I 2nd that WOW. I often feel lonely and reframe my thinking with the fact God I’d always with me. I know what I truly miss~being in my true HOME with Christ! I’m proud of Rebecca and her husband. The “ruins” are heavenly and the book looks amazing! I love the cover of he and the dogs. Many blessings, Malcolm
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The loneliness idea is taking some musing and reflection from me… My natural reaction is to try to avoid loneliness… And having travelled will both Rebecca and Keith for some years, it has been great to see.
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I understand, Malcolm!
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I like your format, Malcolm. A few related ideas wrapped up in a nice package gives folks more places to connect. For me, it’s the love part that holds the others together.
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Thanks, David. I guess both Jesus and St Paul would say that love is the starting point. Perhaps labour and loneliness are two of the ways it can work out.
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I’m still processing some of those layers Malcolm. I grew up being “different” from an odd farm accident, and I was alone in so many ways. Mostly left out. I can see the connections of Love, labor and loneliness through my life time. In our younger-very busy years I had asked my wife if she was ever lonely. She started to cry. My priorities changed that day.
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I’ve had seasons of each in my life too, Gary… I’m still processing loneliness being a ‘gift’. Perhaps it’s linked to where Isaiah speaks about ‘treasures of darkness’.
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Side by side, hand in hand; facing life together because they have each other. I love how Rebecca and her husband broke that barrier with love. Makes one believe in love all over again.
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It has been good to see, Adel. Rebecca and her husband, Keith, were both in a dark place and have come to where they are through love and hard work!
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My dad’s last church as a pastor was in an affluent suburb. He often said that it was a hard place to serve because when people have found material success, they often forget they have spiritual needs. Great post, Malcolm!
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Thanks, Wynne. Richard Coles goes on to say that his experience is that folk who have material success have exactly the same anxieties and problems as everybody else. They just hide them behind their money and possessions
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