On day 8 of the End to End I visited the Eden Project. It was something I was looking forward to and I wasn’t disappointed. From the twisted paths of the willow labyrinth and bluebells of the woodland area to the fantastic diversity on display in the bio-domes, I could have spent forever there. As it was I only had a morning as I had to walk onto Lostwithiel, the ancient capital of Cornwall. Even so, every hedgerow on my route was alike a garden, every strip of woodland, every river bank or wall as spring continued to encourage me as I walked along.
One year on and this is Maundy Thursday and it’s rather different to the plan. I was going to take my Dad to the Easter Triduum celebrated by the Lay Community of St Benedict in Wales, where I was to speak about my walk. I have made two presentations instead of talks and we will have the Triduum on line: a virtual adventure instead.
Last night I witnessed a kiss. It was a kiss between Father, inside a care home, and Daughter, outside in the garden. The kiss took place through the glass. It made me cry. My dad is in his own home, on his own, about 20 miles from where I live. He rang to thank me for the kippers I sent him. Meanwhile Bob has been trying to help him get onto Zoom so he can join in. No mean feat from here: I now call him the i-dad.
A kiss may seem to be such a small thing, yet it can mean such a lot. To help and heal or hurt and harm: there are many kinds of kisses. The sun kisses the earth and the bee kisses the flower. The rise in domestic violence during COVID19 lock down indicates the increased danger some face when kisses can be a sign of control and coercion.
That Jesus knew about kisses is obvious from the gospel. The kiss in garden would not have been his first kiss. He would have been kissed by his mother and friends and family. Who knows who else would have kissed him: read between the lines. The family at Bethany were his friends, the death of Lazarus made him cry (see https://foowr.org.uk/notesfrombambi/).
From the remembered gospel
They went to the garden. Judas said ‘The one I kiss, that’s him’….
Kissing and kissed, such small actions:
we think of the kisser and the kissed.
The kiss between friends, the greeting of family,
the kiss between lovers, the kiss of peace makers,
the kiss of betrayal, the violent kiss.
Kissed One, we read your lips:
love is written there, love for us.
Kissing and kissed, such small actions.
JAL: 09.04.2020 in Longdendale