After looking at all sorts of hymns over the past many years, I am endlessly amazed at how many songs have been written through the ages that so beautifully reflect the emotions and experiences we share as humans.  Through time and across cultures.  This is one of those, and while it may not be familiar to all, it has always struck me as being powerful in its haunting melody and simple words.  Words that, I think, are quite appropriate at the moment; words that for many are appropriate far too often.

This is an old German carol thought to go back to the 17th century, although the earliest printed version is from the mid 1800s.  It is the traditional text about Mary walking in thorns from which a rose will eventually emerge.  A lovely image, in its acknowledgment of pain and its promise of better things.

Maria walks amid the thorn,
Kyrie eleison,
Maria walks amid the thorn,
Which seven years no leaf has born.
Jesus and Maria.

What ‘neath her heart doth Mary bear?
Kyrie eleison,
The little Child doth Mary bear,
Beneath her heart He nestles there.
Jesus and Maria.

Lo! roses on the thorns appear!
Kyrie eleison,
As the two are passing near,
Lo! roses on the thorns appear!
Jesus and Maria.

For the past three years, we have collectively lived through a situation most of us could never have dreamed up.  It has, in some ways, felt a bit like being dropped into a dystopian novel or apocalyptic movie.  For those of us living in the relative comfort of the developed world, it has probably been the single biggest life altering event of our lives.  Most of us have never had restrictions placed on our day to day lives.  We’ve never had to give up our activities or completely change our work habits.  We’ve never seen empty grocery store shelves, we’ve never had to wait for anything.  An uncertain supply chain is a new concept, and missing milestones in the lives of our friends and family has been emotionally challenging.

Life has continued during this time.  Babies were born, people died. We had birthdays and weddings and concerts in whatever ways we could.  We missed things and it broke our hearts.  We were forced to see the cracks in our worlds and we continue to grapple with what that means moving forward.  Some of us lost a great deal.  All of us felt out of sorts – wandering through a wood filled with thorns.

But, if I’m honest, I see that a rose has wilfully emerged from all of this.  A rose with many, many thorns, no doubt, but a thing full of beauty and fragrance nonetheless.  During this time I have learned that there are friendships that are stronger than I could have imagined.  Friendships filled with laughter and care.  Friendships that are true.  I have learned that, while sometimes incredibly painful, it is of immeasurable value to behave in ways that reflect one’s beliefs.  Even if there is a cost.  I have learned that life must be lived to its fullest, whether our lives are filled with modest or elaborate things.  Fullness is about how much we take in, how much we value each moment and savour each one as a blessing.

The image of a rose blooming from its thorny stem is a powerful one.  Life is hard.  And yet, beauty can always emerge if we are willing to tend the plant from which this treasure grows.  But roses are also a gift given, a gift that can express love and friendship and commiseration.  As we seek to understand the experiences we’ve had over the past few years, perhaps this is where the real lesson lies.  We have faced something together that has offered us the opportunity to learn about each other.  To  learn how very much we need each other and our gestures of care. To seek out needs and find gifts that fill them, knowing that they can sooth so much pain and fill our world with healing beauty.

Kyrie eleison.