A research chemist had built up a huge backlog of studies. He handed the papers to his secretary with a sincere apology for the amount of work he was giving her. “That’s all right” she said, pleasantly. “How will you manage it all?” he asked. She smiled sweetly “One at a time.”
That is one of the best life lessons I have learned. One at a time.
A word I remember reading only once in my studies is “Abulia”, a condition which prevents our moving in any direction because we don’t know the best first step. The image given was of someone standing in the middle of a room, not knowing where to start and paralysed, unable to move.
It is a medical condition, how painful it must be. The mess, the chaos, knowing all that needs to be done and not knowing how or where to start. Our parliament has been suffering a form of abulia for a long time. The division within our coalition Conservative and Labour parties, so many factions within each, have produced our present state of paralysis.
The two main parties struggle to hold together the various elements within each of them. Because they cannot resolve those issues they are incapable of resolving the great issue facing our country in its relationship with the EU. Many MPs are closer to people in other parties than they are to members of their own.
In the country at large the situation is similar. England seems to be dominating the smaller countries which did not vote to leave the EU and will not allow those other democratic voices a decisive word.
Every day, Brexit is in my prayer but I know God must answer that prayer through the factions, confusions, ambitions, jealousies within parliament. Poor God, as the old lady said to me years ago, poor God, trying to answer our selfish and good prayers at the same time.
Good God, bless us.
Fr John
Visit: Fr John’s Popular Reads
(12th May 2019)
Related Links: Popular Reads and Fr John’s Parish Newsletters
