I’ve reached Zechariah in my morning Bible Readings. The exiles, led by Zerubbabel, have returned from Babylon. Zechariah the prophet has a variety of strange visions including clothes, trees and lampstands…
They’re to rebuild the temple from a huge pile of rubble that needs sorting out. The task seems impossible. God says, ‘Who despises the day of small things?’
…Grandson-Luca’s school choir are singing the old Mamas and Papas’ song ‘California Dreaming. I remembered it – from sixty years ago! Yesterday we sung it together, reaching, ‘…I stopped into a church, I passed along the way, Well I got down on my knees and I began to pray…’
Luca stops. ‘No!’ he says. ‘It’s ‘pretend to pray.’’ I asked Mr Google. Apparently, Michelle Phillips, dreaming of warm California on a winter’s day in New York, recalls going into a church to get out of the cold. She pretends to pray… Luca’s right.
Began to pray… pretends to pray – small word but big difference!
I reflected small things yesterday…
…I chatted to Des. He applied for a grant to replace the leaking roof of the Seagull Theatre. A small email determines whether or not we receive hundreds of thousands of pounds – or not.
…I played chess with Roy. Two of our three games hinged on a single pawn. The smallest piece on the board determined whether games were won or lost.
…David was talking about his terminally ill brother. The quality of care that he receives may appear of small importance, but to David’s family it’s of huge significance.
I return to the text… another of my Bibles reads, ‘Do not despise these small beginnings…’ For the discouraged Jews, returning from exile, it seems a long way from the small beginnings of laying the temple’s foundations to completing it.
Small things, initial small beginnings are important… in projects, conversations, relationships… resolving differences, conquering addictions, building bridges… forgiving the wrong, mending the broken, changing the heart.
