IT OCCURRED TO ME
What does bigger deliver?
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by Margaret Keane SGS

 “Mac-mansions” in Australia ... biggest houses in the world ... largest prices on the greatest number of squares and they are certain to provide, not just a sense of well being, but enormous well-being. 

This message was delivered over the last few days of November in the Sydney media. 

It occurred to me that the biggest, loudest or most expensive does not always deliver.

While the talk of the houses was taking place so were reports of overworked employees who are doing up to two billion hours of unpaid work a year. These employees report stress, marriage difficulties and generally a feeling of oppression with very little well being. Some of these people own  -- or like to think they own -- the “Mac -mansions”.

Where is the sense of this in our fragile lives?

It occurred to me that big, be it in possessions or in work hours, is like the storms we have been experiencing in Sydney … a lot of noise and bluster with so little rain.

I remembered something I’d written some time ago. I’d called the writing WIND and it was dated 18/07/04.

Wind
Loud, boisterous, wild
Branches creaking – then breaking
crash to the ground.
Camellias torn from their stems
flung in pieces pink, red, white petals against grey sky.
Waves pounding,
crashing,
surfers delighting in plunging boards.
No fear it seems of smashing over rocks beneath.
Beneath – what is there?
Above – a rainbow and promise of rain
– black clouds hang low.
Nothing but noise – aggressive sound
no deliverance of water for a parched earth.
Like human noise, bluster, aggression, bigness,
no deliverance of nurture
just torn petals for making a carpet beneath my feet.
Beneath – what is there?
Fear, anxiety, insecurity!
No need now for suddenly
above – rainbow – promise of hope
mutuality is possible when two or more meet in
– intimacy, giving time for
creative generativity and
nurture for the parched that are too big and loud.
– welcoming Spirit
God in me – God in you – God in us.
Alleluia.

In this Advent time of hope we can be nurtured by pausing, by being content, by reducing our large expectations. We can keep our eyes on the bow of the covenant our faithful God has given to us. (Genesis 9:13)