Fleeting beauty and eternity

COFFEE WITH WARREN, with Warren Harbeck
Cochrane Eagle, October 8, 2020

Autumn gold embraces cross on Cochrane Alliance Church. Photo by Warren Harbeck

The autumn leaves outside Cochrane Alliance Church have teamed up with its iconic cross to offer a valuable lesson on time and eternity.

But first these responses from our readers to last week’s column on steps to a happier world.

MARLIS MCDOUALL, initiator of last week’s topic, commented on how we’ve managed to maneuvre ourselves into our “current state of constant anxiety and fear” through self-interest, expediency and greed. She adds:

“Where you say ‘We lamented over the implications of this environmentally, economically, politically, and societally in general,’ I'd like to point to the obvious unstableness with regards to economically, politically and societally. The overriding factors here are the environmental concerns, as they alone have the power to destroy the other three. Once those three have broken down – and we can see signs of it already – the basis for our existence will be removed. Our crumbling mansion will then be a pile of rubble.”

HR consultant TAMI LEIGH writes:

“Let it begin with me!” she says. “What can I do today to unravel our puzzling world by being unselfish, honest, pure of thought and a giver of Love? How may I be present so the Divine is present through me? How do I reduce, care, be simple, give?”

Tami points to the poisonous effect on us of so much of today’s news coverage. She cites the example of Dale Lang in response to the 1999 murder of his son in Taber. “The Anglican minister asked for complete respect from the media and community so as not to spread more harm; to focus on loving and healing.” As a counter example, she notes how the media response to 9/11 fomented “so much division, hatred, anger, speculation.

“Ying and Yang. Good and evil. Light and dark. There is no evil if there is no evil. It breeds itself. But so does Love. So does Light. This current experience through a teeny virus called COVID-19 has had such a worldwide, powerful effect. It has brought out the best and worst of humankind.

“What can I do to stop the spread of evil? What will be my cause and effect today? I will not partake, support, encourage, remain silent. Unselfishness, purity, honesty and love. What a lovely place to begin.”

THANK YOU, Marlis and Tami. I’ll close with a lesson I’m learning from the cross and leaves outside Cochrane Alliance Church.

In the accompanying photo, the fleeting autumn beauty is embracing the cross, the Christian symbol that points beyond the grave. For a truly happier world, the cross calls us to keep eternity’s values in mind and walk in their footsteps in our mortal journeys together.

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