Canada is an ongoing project!
However over the near century an a half through wars and
economic ups and downs a constitution has been forged, a charter of rights
woven into the fabric of national life, the freedom which allows for diversity
reflecting cultural origins, innumerable ways of religious expression, or none
at all, form the vibrant mosaic of national pride and unity.
Our American cousins celebrate their national unity and joy
on July 4th with Independence Day.
We celebrate on July 1st with the apt title:
Canada Day.
It is the people’s day.
From the smallest village to the national’s capital, across
the six time zones, coast to coast to coast the day of national pride and sheer
joy culminates with fireworks, that explosion of colour and light which thrills
children and allows adults to relax for a while and see the world through the
eyes of a child.
My family has a great friend who invited us to join him for
the evening to observe the fireworks high above the river valley in the heart
of the city.
I emphasis high since the balcony sits some thirty-two
stories up and I am terrified of heights.
However given we all entered the building several levels
underground and the elevator moved quickly, smoothly, I did not really
understand how high up we were until stepping not exactly onto the balcony but
taking my place at the open balcony doors with my feet firmly planted inside
the apartment!
When I was a boy I had no fear of heights, nor as an adult
working a job which more often than I care to remember involved being on high
rise roof tops trying my best to talk some troubled soul from jumping.
I never failed to rescue the potential jumpers, or rather I understand
now, more accurately, by grace, no one
for whom I was the person on scene ever jumped.
It was after years of that work fear of heights took hold
and last evening was the first time in almost thirty years I had even come
close to being not merely up high but actually looking out from the height!
My family’s friend, my son and his wife, the three little
grandchildren were all out on the balcony enjoying the view, watching fireworks
from various outlying towns and villages light up the horizon as we all chatted
and waited for the main event, the city’s fireworks, to begin.
The children were excited, sometimes running around the balcony
or jumping up and down, occasionally the youngest was jumping up and down close
to the railing – which made me rather more fearful.
You know how sometimes you have a thought meant to be inside
the brain, and there only, yet that thought doesn’t stay there!
It escapes from the mouth!
Yep I blurted out at the youngest: “Stop that! You’re
scaring the %#%#% out of me!”
Thankfully I realized immediately I needed to get a grip and
was able to settle down.
Shortly thereafter the fireworks began.
Then something happened unexpectedly within me, or rather
several things happened which I see now as grace: I forgot my fear and mingled
with the booming of the exploding fireworks heard clearly the children
expressing their delight and excitement, the adults too; at that height the
marvelous kaleidoscope of colours and
shapes often seemed to be opening like huge arms inviting an embrace and I found
myself filling with gratitude that I live in such a marvelous country, in such
freedom while simultaneously being aware of He who IS Light from Light, who
calls us to be, tells us we ARE, the light in the world.
After the show was over and we were preparing to leave my
daughter-in-law and I had a brief chat and she looked at me, radiating love and
beauty and said about my fear of heights – though my heart heard it as a word
about all fear: “You have to let it go.”
It strikes me as a bit of a paradox that to overcome fear of
heights I have to allow myself to be lifted up!
Lifted up as a little child, by Him, into His arms to be
held next to His beating Heart.
Lifted up to be with Him on the Cross, the meeting place
between us and the Divine Bridegroom.
This lifting up includes a willingness to lift up our hands
in prayerful supplication, to lift up our hands to receive Light Himself in
Holy Communion whereby His Risen Glorious Light permeates our beings more marvellously
than those fireworks lit up the sky.
As the Apostle reminds us “…we, with our unveiled faces
reflecting like mirrors the brightness of the Lord, all grow brighter and
brighter as we are turned into the image that we reflect; this is the work of
the Lord who is Spirit.” [2Cor.3:18]
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