The Greenbelt Festival.We can go to a multiplicity of gigs at Greenbelt. Bands in full flow. Play football. Skateboard. Classical music. Speakers from all over the world on subjects relevant to the whole of the world. Dance. Play. Drumming. Eating. Theatre. Hanging around the many drink locations sipping tea beer wine cafe chocolate with cream and marshmallow hmmm ......
On Sunday morning thousands and thousands chose to sit in a big field before the main-stage. It is a service. Nothing like church. Humans come expecting that and so do I.
This year, as usual, it was radical and powerful.
My tears leaked.
I was taken to be with humans in pain as I sat in that field.
I felt the pain of injustice - in that field.
I heard accents from distant lands - in that field.
Voices speaking, praying, singing in languages I could not understand - in that field.
Sitting with humans who I had never met before - in that field.
Being warmly disturbed to be a different, changing - developing human - starting in that field.
I love residing in that place called uncomfortable - in that field.
I want to feel, learn, spirituals, journey, belong and reboot myself.
The service started with thousands of voices reading this together.
It was the beginning of a restart.
A Confession:
rather than attend to the cries of those in trouble
we turned our ears to easier frequencies....
rather than stand In The Long Now of sacred history
we became preoccupied with our own short stories....
rather than tend to that promise of the tiny olive seed
we neglected things which take a while to bear fruit.....
rather than you will be done,
we took the waiting out of the wanting and did our own thing...
When we are less than you hope for us
forgive us and renew us.
When we are short sighted and want it all now
inspire us with a longer view
When we remember you have forgiven us
remind us to forgive others and to forgive ourselves.
Amen....
