A friend recently shared with me the blog Brain Pickings by Maria Popova, a Bulgarian-born, American-based writer of arts, philosophy, and culture. It is humbling to discover a talented and prolific writer that is 4 years younger than me and has over 1 million monthly readers. Something to aspire to, right?!
I began with a post from three years again that begins with the sentence "It has been a difficult year — politically, personally." I was struck by how the sentence could have been written yesterday. Popova then writes these words: "Through it all, I have found solace in taking a more telescopic view..." In the midst of current pain, she assumes a larger perspective of life. In reflecting on the suffering Bulgarians have faced over hundreds of years, she notices how her people have continued to survive, sustain hope, and yes, flourish over time.
Popova highlights an ancient Bulgarian folk song that was chosen to be part of a musical record sent on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. The idea was that if there was life beyond Earth, the life would be able to hear our music and know there was also life on planet Earth. Popova writes that Bulgarians don't have much national pride, but the fact that this haunting song sung for hundreds of years made the list is remarkable: "This song, sung by generations of shepherdesses, encodes in its stunning vocal harmonies both the suffering and the hope with which people lived..." In the daily suffering of the people of Bulgaria, the folk song speaks of the beauty of the vast sunflower fields that cover the land.
As Popova reflects on the history of her people she writes that "I don’t think it is possible to contribute to the present moment in any meaningful way while being wholly engulfed by it. It is only by stepping out of it, by taking a telescopic perspective, that we can then dip back in and do the work which our time asks of us."
In the current cultural moment of July 2020, we are faced with a global pandemic, national racial unrest, as well as perhaps personal transitions. I often feel strangled by the current tensions in which I find myself. Thus, I find it helpful to step back and reflect on the larger picture.
I have a 95-year-old grandmother that has lived through fifteen United States Presidents, two World Wars plus others, many viruses and diseases, and her own personal losses. And yet, in a conversation on the phone with her Sunday afternoon, I was strengthened when I heard her laugh and we talked about the worship services we watched online that morning and the glass of good wine we hoped to have before bed. Sometimes we must step out of our constraints and embrace hope. Only then can we return to encounter the difficulties.
So what is the work our time is asking of us?
Taking time to call friends.
Watching a funny television show.
Baking delicious bread.
Closing the internet browser.
Taking a long walk.
Reading challenging books.
Worshiping online.
Talking with strangers and hearing their stories.
Wearing a mask.
Being compassionate.
Christianity embraces the tensions we often feel between suffering and hope. Often we walk in darkness and yet we hope for the light. While we suffer, we are strengthened by the good news that our earth and its creation will one day be restored to its full goodness. We highlight Jesus' horrible crucifixion as well as, thanks be to God, Christ's glorious resurrection.
May you see the larger perspective today and be filled with hope.
You can read the original blog post and even hear the folk song here.
Photo by Lucas Silva Pinheiro Santos on Unsplash