Singing spirits and soaring hearts

A RECENT report indicated that people are turning their backs on news channels because the news on offer is ‘relentless and depressing’.

And a quick look at the headlines certainly backs up that view.

One possible reason bad news affects people is “negativity bias”, a psychological process that means we pay attention to negative events more than positive ones.

It is thought that to protect us from danger we watch out for – and pay more attention to – things that can go wrong, but a diet of only bad news, or murder, of people in distress, of disasters, can trigger overwhelming feelings of depression and a sense of fatalism among watchers and readers. At a national, cumulative level, these feelings can impact how society functions – leading to things like ‘compassion fatigue’, where a constant exposure to traumatised people can lead to despair and a preoccupation with pain and suffering.

So this month, we are offering as much positivity as possible in this issue.

As Christians, we know that there is another meaning to the phrase ‘Good News’.

That Christ died for us to save us all and redeem us.

That the world we live in is a gift, and that if we look, every day, for some ‘good news’ we will find it and our spirit will be uplifted by it.

With that in mind, three readers tell us what makes their spirit sing and their heart soar on a daily basis.

“There are many things that make me very happy – the love and company of family and friends, the warmth and kindness of people, the support of my extended Guild family, tending my garden – the list could go on.

“But what makes my heart sing is the majesty of God’s wondrous creation. Astounding in its complexity, it is the simplest of things that makes my heart sing. The beauty of a bloom, whether it be an unexpected tiny snowdrop or a magnificent peony rose, the resonating robin’s song or the whoop and beat of the swan’s wings as they fly overhead or the calls of the geese as they are leaving or returning to these shores.

“How liberating to be able to walk out into the countryside and be absorbed in the splendour of nature whatever the season. The majestic trees, the rolling hills, the infinity of the sky. It never ceases to amaze me!

“There are those rare and precious moments when, suddenly, a vista opens up before me and takes my breath away, often bringing tears to my eyes. In these moments time stands totally still, the beauty of His wonderful creation touching the depths of my being and eliciting an audible response of ‘Thank you God.’

“On these exceptional occasions I have this intense feeling that I am alone with my God. If you too have experienced this you will know that it is a rare and indescribably spiritual moment, a one-ness with His creation. I believe this is what is called a ‘thin place’

“What a joy to cast aside all the troubles of this broken world and acknowledge this wonderful planet as God intended it to be. At these times my heart sings and ‘my cup runneth over.’”

“ How liberating to be able to walk out into the countryside and be absorbed in the splendour of nature whatever the season.

“Hospitals have a very unique environment, their own feel, smell and sounds. They are busy and a melting pot of emotions and feelings; people are made well whilst others receive the worse news possible.

“There’s tears and there’s laughter, uncertainly and relief.

“As a Hospital Chaplain my role is to be present in the midst of all this emotional chaos; listening, comforting, reassuring and simply being.

“It’s the simple of act of sitting in my garden that restores my soul and makes my heart soar. I’d love to be green fingered, but I muddle though and despite my best efforts plants grow and flower – a mix of wilderness and ordered chaos – but the joy is that the wildlife seem to love it and currently we have blue tits and robins nesting in this wilderness.

“Be it when weeding or cutting the grass, sitting on the deck in the evening morning with my coffee or watching the sunset in the evening feel the presence of God and a sense of peace. It reminds me of the opening lines of Genesis: “In the beginning God created… and it was good”. The ability to be still in the silence of my garden, enjoying the beauty of God’s creation allows me to simply be; no longer the hospital chaplain, or a husband or a son or a friend – but a child of God, created in his image and loved. It creates a space where I can lay down that I no longer need to carry allowing my mind and heart to rest, recharge and be refreshed, and despite what the day may hold or held, I remember the words of Julian of Norwich: ‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well’ and the world looks lighter, better, beautiful – and my heart soars in praise.”

“I was remembering a poster we had on the wall of the Alpha office in the Renfield Centre in Glasgow – a quote from the Christian mystic, educator and American civil rights leader Howard Thurman: ‘Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.’ “Many things make me come alive and make my soul soar. Being out in the beauty of the natural world around us, a smile, or a hug. When someone realises they are loved and cherished by God. As Nicky Gumbel says, ‘knowing His unconditional, wholehearted and continual love.’ Knowing there is nothing we can do to make God love us more and that there is nothing we can do to make God love us less. Love for us that is bigger than our mistakes.

“When we started our Thrive Stewarton missional project with 20s to 40s, we asked that question as a team too. We also wanted to listen to our local community and hear about their aspirations, what makes them thrive, as well as questions about their needs.

“We thought we knew our community. After all, the church had sat here in the centre of the community for the last 200 years. We learned of anxiety, depression, pain, injustice, loneliness and isolation as we were coming out of the pandemic.

“So we focus our energies on building relationships and offering support through activities that help physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health needs. To help our town thrive.

“And as in Peter’s first letter to Christians in Asia Minor we were able to share the reason for the hope in our hearts and the One that helps our wellbeing – our ‘dwellbeing’ – and makes our spirits soar!” ¤