Learning to Go Slow

I recently had some days of leave over half term and, as we drifted around not doing very much, I caught a wonderful series of documentaries I had recorded over the summer.

It was called ‘Europe by Train’ and it was made by a journalist and environmentalist called Manchan Magan. I had read some of his writings on green issues before and, in this documentary series, he endeavoured to travel around Europe by train and not go near an airport once.

It was beautifully filmed and, as a gifted story teller and someone who has a genuine curiosity to experience new things and meet new people, it was compelling to watch. We discovered how few carbon emissions he had released by travelling by train instead of on an aircraft. He did some travelling by ferry, also, and the first observation was how much longer it took to get from one place to another.

If you are anything like me, you view it almost as a badge of honour to see how many activities or meetings you can cram into any one day. As culture seems to encourage this fixation with productivity, we find it very countercultural to meet someone who tries to do things rather differently.

Intrigued by these wonderful documentaries, I discovered that Manchan lives on a small holding in Co. Westmeath. He tries to be as self sufficient as possible, growing crops and vegetables, looking after some cattle and living in a house he largely built by himself, made of as natural materials as he could find.

He has enjoyed a successful career as writer and documentary maker but, some years ago, resolved to stop flying as a bid to reduce his carbon emissions.

In this documentary series he met people doing interesting things to promote nature and outdoor living in the cities he visited. He did some snorkelling under the sea to visit a beautifully restored statue of Christ mounted to commemorate a tragedy at sea off the coast of Genoa in Italy.

He spent time with a food producer whose renowned pesto takes days to prepare, as she sources the best of pine nuts from one region, the finest of parmesan cheese, a particular kind of garlic and crushes everything by hand in a pestle and mortar. It’s a long process, but done with love, and the producer spoke of doing things slowly and with love.

He met other beekeepers in Slovenia, where bees are a protected species and are nurtured to cultivate the biodiversity around the regions.

He met people who forage the most amazing nuts and fruits from publicly owned forests in Prague and share their knowledge with the public on tours.

He took a ride on a hot air balloon and tried to drink in the views over Zagreb in Croatia, not knowing where the balloon would land, or when the ride would be over. In a sense, he abandoned the rules by which most of us live our lives. He got into conversation with people who were trying to nurture movements to work in harmony with nature and encouraging people to slow down, drink in the views, celebrate the company of others and build community.

As I slowed down sufficiently over recent days to watch these inspiring films, it reminded me of a powerful book I read some years ago called ‘The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry’ by a man called John Mark Comer.

In this book, he described ‘hurry as the greatest enemy of the spiritual life.’

Sometimes, I find myself getting resentful about spending time in God’s presence, reading the Bible and praying. Even going to church can seem like an interruption in the various plans I have made for the day.

Perhaps, the stuff that I think is so important is not so important after all. One of the joys of living with someone with special needs is that things don’t always happen as quickly as I think they should. Doing things with someone, rather than for them, can take much longer, but there is a beauty in the time spent together.

I talk lots of nonsense on the walks we enjoy together. Many would say I talk lots of nonsense full stop! Perhaps, the biggest take away from this remarkable series, was the message to go slow. Appreciate your surroundings. Value and appreciate the people you get to meet and spend time with. There are often interesting things to discover and conversations to be had when we are not in such a big hurry.

Maybe, in our spiritual life, too, things seem to crystallise as we slow down. We learn to appreciate God’s company, the presence of His son, Jesus, and as we linger on His Word in the Bible, maybe He shows us powerful things and gives us new insights.

During the making of this series, Manchan received a diagnosis of some very serious heath issues. He remains pretty unfazed by this, and chooses to write and rest and do what he can while receiving debilitating treatment which makes him feel fatigued.

The journeys and the people he met have given him a sense of perspective and an appreciation for what is truly important in life.

In this season of remembrance, it’s a timely reminder to slow down and reflect and think about what is truly important. May we recognise all that God has done for us, the beauty of His world and work together to make him known in the world around us. It doesn’t all have to be done by tomorrow. Let’s go slow and savour all that He has to teach us on the journey.

Looking forward to speaking again soon.

Much love to everyone,

Jono.

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