Â鶹ԼÅÄ

Good Morning. Mark Twain tells us that today is the day which reminds us of what we are on the other 364. With luck it is still early enough not to have been caught by an April Fool. The festival dates back to Roman times.  It is a bit of fun – a reminder not to take ourselves too seriously.  Sometimes we need drawing out of ourselves, our preoccupations and preconceived ideas.  We need to remember how to play.

One person who embodies this ‘joie de vivre’ is Jean Vanier, recent winner of the Templeton Prize for his outstanding contribution on life’s spiritual dimension. In 1964 he began L’Arche, now a worldwide network of communities where able bodied and those with disability, mental or physical, live together in mutual dependency.  At its heart of is the discovery of what the seemingly weak can teach the seemingly strong – that each of us needs to know that we are a source of joy – that we are loved. 

Play is key. When there are oranges for desert at L’Arche, he tells us, there is a tradition of throwing the peel. Everyone, even visitors – once they have lost their inhibitions - gets into it. People come out of their isolated worlds. Those who cannot communicate in conversation join in through play.

Lord, help us not to take ourselves too seriously today. Help us to regain that inner sense of play which helps us see that we are not called by you to do extraordinary things, but to do ordinary things with extraordinary love and tenderness. Amen.