It was a small gathering of three. The weather was perfect for sitting on the balcony. As we talked of life, looking towards the sunset and the tangible end of the day, I found myself alone in my thoughts. In the moment, I realised that I see sunsets as an end as well as a beginning. The dominant reflection is a window to see the opportunities ahead and what I want to bring to each.
With each day, you and I hold an opportunity. In good times and bad, smooth, and stormy, there is elemental freedom gifted to every individual. It is ours and ours alone. Yes, we can try to delegate it to others, but the responsibility and accountability for how this opportunity is used remain with the individual.
How we face this opportunity, and the actions we bring to it, reveal one’s heart. If one were to describe a child of Divinity as a culture, the entry point is clear. “You become a Jew by who you are. It’s the mark of God on your heart, not of a knife on your skin, that makes a Jew. And recognition comes from God, not legalistic critics.” (Romans 2.29). God knows we recognise, and there is no one who can take it away from us.
This takes me back to sunsets, beginnings, and what comes next. It is wide open! We decide. Will compassion be the rule of the day? Can I look at life through the lens of the community? What will I do now, right now?
We sat quietly as the sunset unfolded before us. It was an awesome time. What began as the closing movement to the day morphed into a wonderful range of colours which took me to spring and sunrise. While the clarity was exceptional this evening, the doorway is always there. We choose. We decide. We act.
I closed the day with hope for what is to come. I hear an invitation and accept the challenge. I know I have a part to play. The siren call is universally ours.
