This Sunday our Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Gospel is John 3: 13 – 17.
The television programme “The Repair Shop” screens on TVNZ1 on a Friday evening.
During the programme some of Britain’s most skilled restoration experts breathe new life into much-cherished family heirlooms that are dropped off by members of the public, who reveal the personal stories behind the items.
Items can include silverware, ceramics, leather goods and wood items.
Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell are known on the programme as “the Teddy Bear ladies” and are renown as teddy bear and soft toy restorers.
A couple of weeks ago, the “Teddy Bear ladies” met with quite an elderly woman who had brought with her a quite damaged doll. The exact details elude me; however, the gist of her story was that she had been given the doll at a young age by her father.
The doll was now missing a finger and a couple of toes; the doll’s eyes no longer blinked, and a portion of the stuffing had been knocked out of the doll.
It was the comment that the elderly lady made about the doll as she handed her doll over for repair that brought me to attention. She commented, of the doll, “it has been damaged by love!”
Wow!
What a wonderful description of the mystery of Redemption which we celebrate with the feast known as “The Exaltation of the Cross”.
Today, I suggest, if you are able, to spend five minutes sitting, kneeling or in a physical posture comfortable for you, in front of a Crucifix and in rhythm with your inhaling and exhaling breath recite quietly, “damaged by love.”
The image is by the Ukrainian realist painter, Nikolai Ge. Titled ‘Le Calvaire’ it is part of the collection of art works at the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.