WITHOUT THE STRUGGLE, THERE ARE NO WINGS

Rev. John R. Simon

A family brought in two cocoons that were about to hatch. They watched as the first one began to open and the butterfly inside squeezed very slowly and painfully through a tiny hole that it chewed in one end of the cocoon. After lying exhausted for about ten minutes following its agonizing emergence, the butterfly finally flew out the open window on its beautiful new wings.

The family decided to help the second butterfly so that it would not have to go through such an excruciating ordeal. So, as it began to emerge, they carefully sliced open the cocoon with a razor blade, doing the equivalent of a Caesarean section. The second butterfly never did sprout wings, and in about ten minutes, instead of flying away, it quietly died.

The family asked a biologist friend to explain what had happened. The scientist said that the difficult struggle to emerge from the small hole actually pushes liquids from deep inside the butterfly's body cavity into tiny capillaries in the wings where they hardened to complete the healthy and beautiful adult butterfly.

The lesson?

WITHOUT THE STRUGGLE, THERE ARE NO WINGS.

MAY WE APPRECIATE MORE FULLY THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE AND GROWTH IN THIS COVID-19 SEASON WE ARE ALL ENDURING.

SO BE IT!

A favorite from Leonard Cohen

the following URL takes you to You Tube

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Ring the Bells, Leonard Cohen

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in

The birds they sang at the break of day

"Start again", I seem to hear them say

Don't dwell on what has passed away

Or what is yet to be

Ah, the wars, they will be fought again

The holy dove, she will be caught again

Bought and sold and bought again

The dove is never free

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack,

a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in

We asked for signs, and the signs were sent

The birth betrayed, the marriage spent

Yeah, the widowhood of every single government

Signs for all to see

I can't run no more with that lawless crowd

While the killers in high places say their prayers out loud

But they've summoned, they've summoned up a thundercloud

And they're going to hear from me

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in

You can add up the parts, but you won't have the sum

You can strike up the march, on your little broken drum

Every heart, every heart to love will come

But like a refugee

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in

(Lyrics by Leonard Cohen)

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WITHOUT THE STRUGGLE, THERE ARE NO WINGS

Rev. John R. Simon

Welcome

A favorite from Leonard Cohen

the following URL takes you to You Tube

Ring the Bells, Leonard Cohen

For these lyrics put to photography

Class Prayers

Shhh. Take time to do nothing. Nothing. Enter into Your Quiet.