As most of you know, I retired from the practice of Law almost seven years ago. It didn’t take me very long to realize that I needed to do something other than sit in front of the TV all day. In my neighborhood, we are blessed with a wonderful walking path that stretches beside the boulevard for a couple of miles in each direction. So, I started doing some walking. And when I did, I began learning some things.
First, I learned that I was not in good shape. Walking is decent, if not particularly strenuous exercise. But it still took some time for me to be able to walk very far without needing to stop for rest. [And yes, there is probably a spiritual lesson there.]
But the next thing I learned was that some of the people who use the walking path, and some of the people who drive on the boulevard, are incredibly messy. There was trash everywhere! Well, maybe not literally “everywhere”, but you know what I mean. There was much more trash on the ground than I ever expected to find on or near a walking path, especially since there are several trash receptacles placed along the path. I would find myself picking up as much trash as I could carry to the next available trash can. Then I would continue on, and pick up more trash. By the time I got home, I would be mad.
Soon, as I walked, I began composing in my mind a letter that I might send to our Neighborhood Association to be published in the Neighborhood Newsletter that comes out a few times a year. The first mental “drafts” of this letter had to be discarded as too angry – nobody wants to read that kind of stuff. But, eventually I found myself focusing on the idea that our neighborhood and our walking path are far too nice to be treated this way, and that the other walkers should join me in picking up the trash. In my imaginary letter, I anticipated an objection – that people might think that I want them to walk with their heads down. “It’s actually quite the opposite”, I would say. “I want you to walk with your heads up, but with your eyes open – open to the beauty around you, open to the people around you, and yes, open to the things that need to be picked up and thrown away.” [No, I never actually wrote the letter.]
It seems like it has been practically forever since we started the Year 2020 with so many hopes and dreams. Do any of you still recall the Theme for the year that we proudly announced back in January? Of course - “Vision” – what else could it be this year?
How is that Vision thing working out for us? Speaking for myself, not so good. I presume that most of you were sadly aware of the irony that dripped from Sunday’s sermon and the example I mentioned of missing an opportunity. Me, the guy who insisted that the Theme for TOCC for 2020 would be “Vision”, missed that opportunity because I didn’t “see” it. That’s pretty much the text book definition of a “Vision Fail”.
I didn’t “see” the opportunity because I wasn’t looking in the right direction. The “lenses” of my spiritual eyes were “focused” inward. My spiritual “vision” wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t pointed outward. I don’t need spiritual “glasses”. I just need to start walking with my head up, but with my eyes open – open to the beauty of God’s Creation, open to the people created in God’s image all around me, open to the needs of the people around me.
Here’s the good news - it’s not too late for me, and for each of us, to turn the Vision Theme of 2020 into a spiritual reality. I am thankful that so many of you are already walking with your heads up and your eyes open. Keep it up! I’m still not in great shape, but I’m coming along behind you. Thank you for showing me the way!
~Shepherd Ambrose Ramsey
