Day 6: A Quiet Place

I am currently serving as a Mission Partner with the Council for World Mission and working with the Presbyterian Church in Grenada. It is a beautiful place to serve, with many hills, valleys and rivers and great coastal views. I have valued walking through the country and can sometime be walking in silent places with just sounds of nature.

One of the magnificent beaches on Grenada

I live in a school compound and it can be very noisy with many people around and when I go places I am spotted and seen and feel the need to engage. We all need quiet spaces to go to and from this passage it looks like the disciples of Jesus had returned from a busy time and needed time to recharge and reflect:

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Mark 6: 30- 34 NIV

I know when I am walking and siting in quiet places I can reflect and be more productive in my busy and hectic times.

When looking at this story we are drawn to the feeding miracle, but let me pull three points together:

1. We all need a quiet place to rest and reflect – Where is your quiet place?

2. Jesus did not expect people to come to a building, he was out and about and responded to their needs – How can we get out in our communities?

3. The people needed a shepherd and so he began to teach them - How do we give time to people to teach them?

There is so much to do in our world and in our local communities to effect change and transformation that we need to be out and about and not expect people to come to us. When you go and do – as Jesus instructed us - you find so much reward and blessing in serving. Then going to your quiet place to be refreshed is so important.

Nigel Lindsay