Anyone keeping “in touch” under lockdown via IT will be aware of the amount of humour loose on the …….whatever waves they are. Did you see the picture of one of our ‘guardians’ of the lockdown admonishing our Lord for the intention of breaking the rule of staying at home over the holiday? He was emerging from his tomb, slightly breathless after “opening the door” on Easter Sunday morning.

We were sent “a funny” from Geneva before lockdown for Fenn’s birthday (which is not suitable in full here but come and see me after if you want the full version!) but essentially it was stating the importance of “peace of mind” and how to achieve it in a state of lockdown, by finishing off those things for which you never had time before. A good place to start could be the drinks cupboard and those half- finished bottles of spirits and liqueurs—you can guess the rest in terms of “peece of mine”.

After that! I decided it was a good time to “put the house in order”. Never a better opportunity with a sander, filler & paint on a weatherboard house and favourable autumn weather. What more could one ask, except more paint to finish the job. How can I persuade Mitre10 of the essential nature of paint?

Peace of Mind, to come back to that, is essential, I find anyway, so that one’s mind is free to laterally explore ‘fresh ground’ and take advantage of this gift of time. Learning a new language, for example. Have you thought of Antarctican or Martian where they don’t have Covid-19 yet? You might have to be quick. Original thoughts? Might be difficult, perhaps new ones you haven’t thought of before, imagination being the only limitation.

Spend more time with one’s spiritual development—(not the sort I started with?). Yep, though for some of us, (the Scriptures are a minefield of interpretation and comprehension,) we are more at home in the workshop. I wonder what Jesus’ early life was like in his Dad’s carpenter shop. He, later, refers to the craft of the potter, but I don’t recall mention of carpentry in his stories! Direction for further lateral exploration? I’m sure someone will fill me in on that before I get around to that on my list.

One thing I am reminded of regularly, and that is, whenever conversation or thoughts turn pessimistic in outlook, a comment that was made to me by a stalwart of St John’s Timaru, pre 1981, when some global crisis was biting us and our conversation was headed downwards. He, the St John’s stalwart, said simply that ‘one reason for the strength of his faith was because it was one thing that couldn’t be taken away from him’. How many times have we heard or read that or similar?
Prisoners of war, prisoners of the Muslim fundamentalists, probably shipwrecked mariners and anyone in mortal peril, who has a strong faith as a backbone.

So, the future uncertainties we face are, in essence, nothing new. History reminds us that long periods of peaceful paradise cannot be expected on our planet. Hence it makes sense, after putting one’s house in order, to give earnest consideration to the one thing that you can never lose.

Now, how can I get paint recognized as ‘essential supplies’?

Rod S