The Apparently Impossible…

Three stories from yesterday:

At our ‘Music for Wellbeing’ group we sung the old English folk song ‘Scarborough Fair’ (made famous by Simon and Garfunkel). It’s a story of unrequited love…

The young man says that his lover must complete impossible tasks…. sewing a seamless cambric shirt – impossible because cambric’s a light fabric used for making lace… Then she must find for a dry well to wash the shirt…

The lady asks equally impossible things from the man… finding an acre of land between sand and sea, ploughing it with a ram’s horn, planting peppercorn in it, making a leather sickle with peacock feathers…

Both placed impossible conditions on love.

I read Cameron Howes writing about interfaith engagement…

As a young Christian I learnt why other religions were wrong… accentuating differences, putting limits on what’s acceptable, creating barriers, separating myself from all who were different from me.

Howes gives great examples of interfaith co-operation, not advocating a diluted faith or some blended universal religion, rather describing a ‘radical interdependence that demands the full acknowledgement of our differences in order to enact the covenantal commitment to love as we are loved.’

He gives examples of religious leaders coming together… Discovering and understanding similarities and differences… His role as an ambassador for Christ.

Many say that peace and reconciliation are impossible. Hawes sees ‘reconciliation and peace as a primary vocation for Christians.’

Ronin the rat was in the news. Cambodia remains littered with millions of unexploded bombs following its civil war; the charity Apopo trains African ‘HeroRATS’ to sniff them out. Ronin’s set a new world record, uncovering 109 landmines and 15 unexploded devices since 2021. Ronin’s making a real difference to Cambodian people who fear for their lives.

Ronin achieves the apparently impossible – that the Scarborough Fair lovers couldn’t do and Cameron Howes is trying to do – by walking lightly, sniffing out danger, and serving those who need him. In this way he makes a difference and saves lives.

I pray that I’ll be like Ronin!