“The World is charged with the grandeur of God.” This insightful declaration of the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins resonates well with the sights that can greet our eyes just about any day at this time of year. All around us the spirit of life is palpable. The created order burgeons with evidence of a glorious Maker. Even as we may respond with a soulful “Amen!” We remind ourselves that Hopkins’ insight is no less true on a cold, snowy day when traffic crawls along, as if frozen, and we are of less benevolent disposition.

Throughout human history, poets, like Hopkins, along with composers- we may recall Mahler and his “What the Wild Flowers Tell Me - and other artists, in all ages, have endeavored to give expression to the wonders of creation and the joy of life. That they have not exhausted the theme is witness to creation’s source. There yet remains ample opportunity for each of us to add our expressions in celebration of life.

It is fitting that the fullness of spring, in our region, is interfused with the Christian season of Pentecost and its message of the activity of the Holy Spirit of God in the world. One of the significant aspects of the operation of the Holy Spirit is that of creativity. The Holy Spirit is the source for, and enabler of, creativity. This, of course, does not mean that we may all be world class poets, artists, musicians and so on. We are all, nonetheless, endowed with creativity.

The declaration, in Genesis, that we are created in the image of God, is potent. While creativity is a gift, we must learn that the gift needs to be exercised continually. We can well think of the exercise of the creative gift as a discipline; an expression of discipleship. Thinking about creative gifts, we ought also to recognize that the greatest expressions of creativity are not seen in inanimate objects, artistic though they may be; but, rather in relationships; which are animate. The record of failed relationships, rampant in our world, is witness to an absence of creativity. It must be one of the greatest “judgments” we face as human beings.

Reading the gospel record of the life of Jesus, we can appreciate the creativity in relationships he demonstrated throughout his ministry. All those accounts of healing of bodies, minds and souls, witness to relationships created by our Lord. It is instructive to note that, often, these relationships were established with those who were outside the religious mainstream. It seems the one area in which Jesus had greatest difficulty establishing relationships was with those within the religious mainstream. What does that mean?

It can hardly be surprising that when Jesus speaks of judgment, he does so, ultimately, in terms of relationships. Recall his, “inasmuch as you did it not unto one of the least of these, you did it not unto me.” This is balanced by his, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.” It is written in the flowers.Lord, I believe: Help thou my unbelief.

Faithfully,

Brian Dixon

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