A Hunger for "Heaven"…

Every once in a while I hear a song that goes beyond “ear worm” and becomes something almost permanent in my brain. It gets stuck in there, lodged in a deeper place than the place that just holds content (like lyrics) – a place that retains things because they are the carriers of a deeper truth. There is one stanza from an Emmylou Harris song called “The Pearl” that is like that for me. The words go like this:

We are aging soldiers in an ancient war
Seeking out some half remembered shore
We drink our fill and still we thirst for more
Asking if there’s no heaven what is this hunger for?

Whether you feel like an “aging soldier” or not, whether your battles feel ancient or relatively new, if you have ever had a longing of any consequence you can probably relate to the imagery of the last three lines. Honestly now – ever had the sense that you were looking for something that you couldn’t quite define, of thirsting for something that whatever you were pouring into your life to quench your thirst, it just wasn’t enough? I have…I do.

Harris seems to suggest that these things are all somehow connected to a hunger for “heaven”. This week, as we return to our “For Your Consideration” series, we are going to dig a little deeper into that thought. Is it heaven we are hungering for? If so, what might heaven be? Is it somewhere else, or is it here? Is it some other time, or is it now? Or somewhere in between?

Come and join us this Sunday morning. We gather at The Exchange Cafe, 137 Bannatyne. Come at 10 if you want some extra time to chat; we get started with the more organized part at 10:30.

I don’t want to over-promise, but in my experience the parking is easy, the coffee / tea is hot, tasty (and free), the people are friendly (but good about giving you space, if that’s what you need), and the general spirit of the place is one of exploration rather than fear.  Hope to see you there.

Peace,

Tim