In a Time of Small Things Held in the Hand of God.

One of our walking routes takes us past a hazelnut tree. These two hazelnuts were blown off the tree some time yesterday.

 

They now sit on my desk as reminders of how smallness is no diminishment of value.

 

"I saw a little thing the size of a hazelnut...."

 

Those who know me, are all too aware of my admiration for Julian of Norwich, and those words about all that is made being loved by God and ever shall be.

 

Here they are in all their beauty:

"And in this he showed me a little thing, the quantity of a hazel nut, lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed. And it was as round as any ball. I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding, and thought, ‘What may this be?’ And it was answered generally thus, ‘It is all that is made.’ I marvelled how it might last, for I thought it might suddenly have fallen to nothing for littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: It lasts and ever shall, for God loves it. And so have all things their beginning by the love of God.
In this little thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it. The second that God loves it. And the third, that God keeps it.”

 

Today we had our first Church Service in our building since March 23.

 

It wasn't easy, there was much that was strange, and seemed uncongenial to worship as we have known it.

 

We were hymnless; if that isn't a word, it should be for now, but we were there, as safely as we could make it.

 

And we prayed, listened to music and words, read the Bible, shared Holy Communion.

 

We gathered, and we scattered, a small community of faith, a little thing the quantity of a hazelnut. 

 

We are part of all that is made, we are loved by God, and ever shall be.

 

In our little church community I saw three properties:" The first is that God made it. The second that God loves it. And the third, that God keeps it.”