66 Communion
Sitting on a wicker chair under the sky as evening falls: long fingers of coconut and stooping ashok tree rise to a great height above. From the coconut fronds drongos sally forth, swooping and arching high overhead and having caught their prey they return to their perch before venturing on another round of aerial acrobatics. Later they settle for the night, and bats both large and small take their place jaggedly diving through the air. Suddenly a huge owl appears out of the massed foliage of the almond tree, and Just as suddenly he disappears again.
Beyond the trees is the moon which will complete its waxing in a few days, now it shines brilliantly and around it a rainbow coloured halo signals its great holiness. Colour nearer to earth is provided by the flowers, red and white frangipani; purple, mauve, and lilac cenia; and nearby a large spray of yellow and orange cosmos, now in full flower, are lit up beautifully in the glowing evening light.
The buildings with their redbrick walls and coconut-matting roofs blend perfectly with the natural surroundings, and close by the chapel with its sculptured and multi-coloured dome enhances rather than disrupts the harmony of the scene.
Inside the chapel men and women ennoble themselves by listening to words of wisdom, and at the end of the service they lift up their voices in worship. The whole of creation is in order, there is a communion, a celebration of life and its creator.
In Praise of the Lord and his Servant
Happy indeed am I,
for when I was dead in my sins
when I had surrounded myself
on all sides
with death and destruction,
You brought me into the light of Your presence.
You brought me to these sacred waters
and to Your Spirit-filled servant
whose life was so fruitful
who abounded with love and compassion.
Like a man possessed
I was heading for doom
Your judgement was coming for me;
only through Your grace was I saved,
I was saved, and I sing Your praise.
Today while sitting in silence
I heard the voice of Your word,
You said: You are my son,
today I have given you birth.
I had heard these words before,
I didn’t know they were meant for me,
but today as I looked
into the blue, blue sky
they resounded throughout my being.
These words were spoken by Your servant
who gave me the grace to see
I put my trust in You
and in the silence You set me free.
How many are the friends around me.
when I look they are all about.
If only my eyes had been open
I would have seen them all long ago.
In front, the trees and the flowers;
above, the birds of the air;
Nearby is the running water
and the hills seen in silhouette.
They point me to the One who will help me,
they take me beyond myself,
through them I came to know of purity,
and through grace I will come to eternity.