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October 2009 The Rector writes: Dear Friends, In the highly unlikely event of me appearing on Desert Island Discs on Radio 4, the track ‘Coney Island’ by Van Morrison would definitely be among one of my selections, and would vie for top spot. His poetry, spoken in his Irish brogue, describes a perfect outing. Banter with his friends, good food, the sun high in the sky, rolling hills and rugged coastline are evocatively described in the lyrics. Yet, it is the telling but beautifully simple final line that makes the song stand out. “I wonder why life can’t be like this all the time,” captures the wistful, lingering sadness as that kind of wonderful day draws to a close. Relaxing in the hammock in the garden on the first day of our holiday in Normandy -paddling in the sea on the long, sweeping sandy beach at Deauville - meandering through the fish market in Trouville, trying to decide what to buy for supper - I had that same sense of longing. These moments had a kind of perfection. Yet it was tantalisingly fleeting. Their transience lends these transcendent moments a certain poignancy. From a Christian perspective, this wistfulness reminds that we are ‘strangers and pilgrims here’. Created to enjoy God forever, we long for God and for his Kingdom. Our restlessness makes us aware that we are created for heaven. As C.S. Lewis so eloquently put it, there is “an inconsolable secret in each of us’, the desire for the ‘the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a county we have never visited.’ Belonging to God’s people is characterised by longing. We pray “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We speak of thirsting for God to express our passion. We plead for the renewal of God’s church. We are constantly looking forward in keen anticipation of what God has in store for us in this world and the next. The book of Revelation describes heaven as a city where there is ‘no need for sun or moon for the glory of God is its light’ where will flow ‘the river of the water of life, bright as crystal’. Here, finally, all our longings will be satisfied; our hopes fulfilled and our dreams realised. We will enjoy God’s joy, peace and love forever. With a confident hope in the reality of eternity with God, we share our faith with those who have not responded yet to God’s invitation. In their aspirations, cravings and yearnings is revealed their restlessness for God. Let us encourage them to join us on our journey with God and to God. David Tomlinson
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