I’ve been reflecting this week on a piece of writing that I came across. I don’t know who wrote these words, but they really spoke to me:
“Do not judge a biography by its length
Nor by the number of pages in it.
Judge it by the richness of its contents.
Sometimes those unfinished are the most poignant.
Do not judge a song by its duration
Nor by the number of it’s notes
Judge it by the way it touches and lifts the soul.
Sometimes those unfinished are among the most beautiful.
And when something has enriched your life
And when its melody lingers on in your heart
Is it unfinished?
Or is it endless?”
I sometimes joke to my congregation that I “get paid by the word” so they need to be understanding if a sermon meanders a little longer than usual. But there is truth in saying that because we tend to equate length with value. We can fool ourselves into thinking that the longer something is, or the bigger something is, or the more complicated something is, the better it must be. When we go to a show or a movie or the symphony, we want to get our money’s worth and might feel ripped off if after 40 minutes the curtain comes down and we are told to go home.
As this piece of writing reminds us, length is not always a measure of how valuable something may be to us (nor is size or complexity). Sometimes that which lifts our spirits ignites our curiosity, or fires our imagination, can be short, or simple, but incredibly meaningful. Seeing a rainbow in the sky can give us a greater spark of joy, than spending an entire day in the sun.
I’m always fascinated by the fact that when Jesus described to his followers his vision of a better world (the Kingdom of God) he explained it by using imagery of small and simple things. “The kingdom of God is like a woman who finds a lost coin and is filled with joy”. That one sentence tells us so much. He is equating a life of faith with adventure, discovery, attention and surprise. He is reminding us that when we are good stewards of the small and basic things in life, we are seeding the ground for bigger movements of justice and peace. When we are mindful of the little things in life, we are in our own small way, building the very kingdom of God around us.
In a world that screams at us “bigger is better”, it’s nice to hear the whisper of faith reminding us of the value in what is basic, simple, and even unfinished.
