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God laughs

In the beginning…God laughed
And the earth was glad.
The sound of laughter
Was like the swaying and swinging of thunder in mirth;
Like the rush of the North wind on a drowsy and dozing land;
It was cold. It was clear.
The lion leapt down
At the bleating feet of the frightened lamb and smiled;
And the viper was tamed by the thrill of the earth:
At the holy laughter.
We laughed, for the Lord was laughing with us in the evening:
For the laughter of love went pealing into the night;
And it was good.  

It has been wonderful travelling the Celtic path for the last 4 months with you. I wish you nothing but well and pray for your safekeeping on life’s bumpy old road. I found this, and although it isn’t an ancient piece of writing, it captures much of the Celtic view of life. Go well.

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Chief of chiefs

Bless, O Chief of generous chiefs,
Myself and everything anear me,
Bless me in all my actions,
Make Thou me safe for ever,
Make Thou me safe for ever.
As tax-collector Alexander Carmichael travelled the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, he developed a deep love and admiration for the people he met. He saw that their lives were underpinned by the kind of faith that can weather storms and find joy in the most difficult of circumstances. He admired the simplicity of their way of life and the poetry at the heart of each home.
In this complicated modern world, I find the prayers that Carmichael unearthed to be a great corrective to the pace and fury of modern life. I hope that the lovely prayer to the Chief of chiefs is a comfort to you today.
Steve