The Glint

 May 19, 2020

The Glint

“Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
― Anton Chekhov

 

 

The above quote seems to be anti-writing or anti-prose. It might seem to suggest that a picture is worth that “thousand words” we’ve all heard about.

 

But I really think Chekhov was asking the writer to be more descriptive, that the moon looks better in the mind’s eye when described as coming off the broken glass instead of a bare fact of a full moon.

 

Then again, I’ve heard many people say, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one.” I usually hear that when someone is taking a passive-aggressive swipe at me. But the sentiment has its merit.

 

So how do we show a sermon? And as sermons are more suited to preachers, does this saying pertain only to them? Let’s assume that the saying is innocent enough as to be encouraging others to do more to save the world than proclaiming it. So- “walk the talk.”

 

I would guess that most people do “walk” their talk, or, “walk” their feelings toward the world. After all is said and done, most observers know who we are and what we believe by our actions. It might then be wise for us to journal from time to time, keeping track of how we reacted to others, of what actions we undertook to better others, of how we spoke to friend and stranger alike, of what the “score” of how we attended to life might look like at the end of our days.

 

And instead of compiling a list of the deeds or attitudes we communicated for a day’s time, perhaps the poetry of prayer would be a good way of closing our days, to express to God the successes and shortcomings of our day. Remember, “show me the glint of light on broken glass”?

 

I think it would be lovely to close my every day with a compassionate retelling, in a space of gentle and forgiving prayer of how the “moon was shining” that day.

 

I think God would love to hear directly from us this report, and, God would want us to treat ourselves lovingly to bring more glints of light from the brokenness of our lives.

 

See you in the shadows, admiring the glint,

 

Rev. Ken