Another sunny Sunday outing…
The miles flowed by in our land of parks and pelicans; statues, people, guards guarding a palace….
All familiar now, but oh how new and delightful in each moment…
Through St James park across the Mall and up the steps we ran… The Duke of York column reaching skyward above us several houses high, surveying the scene for decade after decade…
He’s been standing there since 1834
Onwards up Regents street turning left into Piccadilly… As we were approaching St James Church we heard the words of a minister talking about Christ…
A service happening outdoors… We stopped and stood looking inwards from behind the gates, listening to his soothing voice talking about Jesus; dying so that we might have everlasting life.
He held up the bread and the wine, symbols of the body and blood of Christ, to consecrate them…
And I was immediately transported to the years I spent in church listening to these familiar words and partaking in this same ritual…
He invited us all to say the Lord’s prayer together and so Anadi and I repeated with the assembly gathered inside the gates…
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever world without end
Amen.
And as I recited these words, tears arose within me… I know not why? Perhaps memories surfacing and clearing of days gone by…
And on we ran…
Under the arch at Hyde park corner – a the stream of traffic all around… Another memory flashed of days gone past…
Me cycling around here on my 21st birthday… (much less traffic then!) I’d journeyed on two wheels – with only 3 gears (in those days!) – some 50 or 60 miles from my home in Headley to meet some friends in Hyde Park…
Running onwards we reached our breakfast and coffee stop in the Duke of York square, and I stopped to buy a big issue – the vendor engaged us in conversation… He asked how far we had run…
He then told us that he too had been a runner when he was in the army, and so we shared running times and the joy of running for miles.
Time to think he volunteered… I’m in recovery he added; and I feel the fittest I have felt in 30 years… I’d like to run a marathon, or at least walk one…
When we set off on our life journey we were so innocent and unaware of what a huge undertaking this journey would be; the difficulties, the sadnesses and pain we would encounter along the way – as well as the delights and joy and fun too of course….
But it is often through the hardships that our lessons are learned…
The wisdom gained of life lived.
And then can come about a return to the innocence of the child within us, with the experience, the wisdom through the learning etched now within us…
And from this place – whenever in our lifetime we arrive there (maybe many times!) – we can set off once more with the enthusiasm of when we first began….