Sunday Lunch: Biscoff, Being There, Birds.

Yesterday our family came round for Sunday lunch. There was the usual roast dinner – Yorkshire pudding, vegetables…. Three things:

Biscoff: Granny’s deserts are legendary. Yesterday she’d prepared pineapple upside-down pudding, and Biscoff cheesecake. Both went down exceedingly well. What often happens (as yesterday) is that pictures are sent to absent friends and family to show what they’re missing!

Being There: There was catching up with family news – holidays, work situations, home improvements… conversation, laughter, eating, drinking… What was most important was that we chose to be there, together as a family.

Birds: Son-in-law-Allan said: ‘There’s a bird in the pond!’ We went outside. There was a disturbance; I couldn’t see what it was. Allan put his hand in the water and pulled out a small bird, a fledgeling blue tit, bedraggled and scarcely alive. He placed it on the grass and left it. We thought it wouldn’t survive. Gradually, over a period of perhaps twenty minutes, it dried out, warmed up, stood up and flew away.

In my annual journey through the Bible I’ve reached Proverbs… this morning Chapter 9:

In a certain town live two women, named ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Folly’. Both invite passers-by – those who lack good judgement, those confused with life – to come to their home and have Sunday lunch with them. The meal is prepared…

Biscoff: We look at what’s on offer – the food of Wisdom and the food of Folly can both look good. Perhaps we’ve tasted them before.

Being There: We choose whose house to enter. Entering Wisdom’s house involves a choice and an action. Sharing Sunday lunch with Wisdom, we also share with other guests who have also chosen to be with her… We share conversation and laughter.

Birds: Wisdom and Folly are both demonstrated in words and actions. Allan’s apparently small action was of huge significance to the small bird. Wisdom is about seeing what’s needed, doing the right thing, watching out for those in danger, rescuing the weakest, looking outside my own interests…