LET IT GROW...! Celebrating the world's rebirth
IT'S JUST KEVIN
By Very Rev. Kevin George
CATHERINANNE and I recently traveled to the ‘holy land of Newfoundland’ to visit family and to enjoy some vacation.
Needless to say we made numerous visits to the many homes of our very large family, trips out on the bay, plenty of food and beverage, a great deal of laughter, a few tears, and the sweet melodies of Newfoundland music. The singing, the storytelling and the accompanying sense of communion that goes with drinking in such rich culture was a great elixir. This Newfoundland boy was in need of reconnecting with his roots.
Thanks be to God for the gifts of family. Thanks be to God for the sacredness of place. I moved away from Newfoundland thirty years ago. After living most of those three decades quite contentedly in Ontario, I have to confess that each return trip to my homeland is a reminder of just how truly beautiful and enchanting Newfoundland is. I can’t quite describe the feelings that well up inside me on these trips. There is an intangible connection that I think many Newfoundlanders have with the rocks, the sea, the forests, the sights, the sounds and the smells. There is a deep and sacred relationship with place.
All of that is true, but indeed the deeper and more intense bond is that between kin. That too is a gift from God’s own hand. There is not a day that I am not overwhelmed with gratitude for my six siblings, their children, their grandchildren and their great grandchildren. I fear that in the rush of this world that we live in drives us to distraction from the importance of place, of relationship, and of opportunity to be present to any one moment in time to see God’s hand at work.
We have a beautiful great-great niece named Callie and a rambunctious and delightful great-great nephew Bryce. These siblings are a real joy to spend time with. Their mom Lauren is my Goddaughter. Lauren has always loved music and is a beautiful singer. Her love for music has been passed to these beautiful children. The night before our return to Ontario, Lauren took out her guitar and the two children sat and sang a song for us from The Lorax. It was such a sweet gift for us. I had not heard the music from that film. When they sang these words, I was overcome with emotion.
Let it grow, let it grow
You can't reap what you don't sow
Plant a seed inside the earth
Just one way to know it's worth
Let's celebrate the world's rebirth
We say let it grow
Relationships are a gift of God. God is revealed to us when we have the courage to sow love, and sow it abundantly. These trips to Newfoundland always remind me how important it is to make time, take time, and share time. In so doing, we grow. We come to know our worth - our belovedness. The world’s rebirth is something we might celebrate daily, if we were to have the wisdom to see each person anew, each and every day. Our baptismal covenant calls us to seek and serve Christ in every human being. Every day we have the opportunity to sow seeds of love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness. We don’t reap those beautiful gifts in our own lives if we do not sow them abundantly.
Three year old Bryce and six year old Calle looked up at us and sang:
Let it grow, let it grow
Like it did so long ago
It is just one tiny seed
But it's all we really need
It's time to change the life we lead
Time to let it grow
It is time to change the life we lead: Who do you miss? What phone call have you put off? Who is overdue for a visit from you? Who needs to hear how much you care about them? Who do you need to forgive? From whom do you need forgiveness? Make the first step. It is just tiny step, a tiny seed, but it will grow.
Very Rev. Dr. Kevin George is Rector of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, and Dean of Huron.
Photo: Bryce and Calle: Let it Grow!