For one of the first times in my life I am a patient. And it has suddenly struck me where the word comes from because, to be a patient, you need to be patient. One likes to think in western society that we can control what is going to happen to us and what the outcomes are going to be, but sometimes we simply have to learn to trust and to realise even in situations we cannot immediately fix- we can still learn. In the last two weeks I have learnt so much from the kindness of my family, people from St Martin’s and also, of course, the kindness and thoughtfulness of the wonderful ‘island of strangers’ in the NHS who have brought me so much healing and care. With a broken ankle you are a captive audience, and so you have time to recognise, reflect, pray, read, listen and be grateful for those from around the world who bless us and our nation.
When Rowan Williams came to visit our Nazareth Community I asked him for ‘a word’ of wisdom he would like to share with our community. The word he chose was ‘release’. He described our prayer life in this way: ‘There is a fundamental releasing that happens during prayer. Release from filling the space, from justifying my existence before God, from busyness, from climbing the ladder, from anxiety and from the need to be in control. You don’t look for or seek results—contemplation is about moving from fear to trust. True prayer unclenches the fists. A clenched fist cannot receive anything. God’s purpose is to release us and the world around us. God says to us. “Sit still so I can see you, look at you, and maybe you can look at me too.”’
I am hoping to learn from this and see this period of enforced stopping as a time of patience and trust. ‘It feels so long for an ankle to heal’ I said to the doctor, to which he replied, ‘It will be longer still if you can’t be patient- or a patient.’ Thank you all for all the generous cards, kindness and prayers.
And today a very special welcome to Andrew Woodward, Neel and Magnus. All our prayers are so much with you as you begin your ministry in St Martin’s.
Revd Richard Carter
