A note from a colleague

28 May 2010

Today's note is brought to you by Elizabeth Orr, General Manager, Operations

Dear Friends,

With the onset of winter we are reminded through nature just how harsh this season can be: the stripping of leaves from our trees; the chill of icy winds blowing on our faces; and the tendency for all of us to hibernate indoors to keep warm and resist tackling the outdoor weather.

Winter is not just a natural phenomenon but is also a metaphor for life experiences that impact us in serious ways as individuals, affecting body, soul and spirit.

1. Body impacts

There are many in our society who live in a state of winter every day. The beauty and fullness of life has been stripped away and they are left with the barest of necessities when it comes to food, clothing and shelter. Many individuals and families touched by this cold wind in their lives long for basic care and physical support through this cold spell.

2. Soul impacts

When disappointments, failures and loss ravage the soul so many in our community find this winter of the inner self an isolating one. This sadness is not easy to see as it is deep inside even though external circumstances look normal and all together. The pain is covered over and hidden from full view. There is a desperate need for a warm touch from someone who cares and is willing to share the pain.

3. Spirit impacts

Probably the most serious of all winters is that which kills our spirit and we lose all sense of ourselves and the will to live is no longer present. Wesley Mission's latest research report Keeping Minds Well outlines in detail the unfortunate truth about the high numbers of individuals who have experienced this winter of the spirit and choose the path of suicide as the only way to make sense of life.

God knows us as individuals - he sees and cares when the body, soul or spirit is stripped bare by winter experiences. He reaches out to us in whatever winter experience we find ourselves in. We can find comfort in the knowledge that the seasons of life are just that - seasonal. There is hope that comes with the return of spring and the restoring warmth of summer. God offers us that hope and warmth of relationship.

Those of us who have not been damaged by the foul weather of winter on our lives, need to resist the desire to safely hibernate by the fire and ignore the struggle of others. Our call this winter is to reach out to the needs of others whether that be a need of the body, the soul or the spirit. We can be that restoring warmth and reassuring word which given at the right moment can restore life and renew loving relationships.

God help us in our winter
If our world should grow dark
And there is no way of seeing or knowing
Grant us courage and trust
To touch and be touched
To find our way onwards
By feeling.
Amen
(Leunig)

Elizabeth Orr
General Manager, Operations

Christian Life