Red Balloons

It was another busy day on the London Underground. As the doors of the tube opened, a single mother with a Downs Syndrome child pushed her way in. At the other end of the same carriage another mother with two small boys, each holding red balloons, also managed to get inside.

Despite the mother's best efforts, the child with Downs was screaming and shouting. Nobody moved to offer them a seat. Backs were turned, books and newspapers were raised; everybody kept their heads down.

Then I noticed the other mother speaking to her two boys. Seconds later the two boys, with their red balloons, made their way through the crowded carriage towards the distraught child. When they reached her, somewhat reluctantly, they handed the mother and her child their two balloons.

At that moment, the child stopped crying and struggling in her mother's arms. She took hold of the balloons and a huge smile came to her face. Two red balloons - an unexpected and unsolicited gift - calmed the tormented child.

As the boys rejoined their mother, heads were raised. People began to clap and to thank the boys for their kindness. For a moment there was a real sense of community in that carriage.

It took a simple act of generosity to calm a mother and her child. It took that act to free the rest of us from our inhibitions and fears of becoming involved.

It took the exchange between those two little boys and a tormented child to help us discover for a moment, the true meaning of what it means to be alive and together in community.

Lord, into our loneliness and pain this day, pour Your compassion and Your love. Amen.

Posted for Fr

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Don't Worry

For all you boomers out there: do you remember the immortal words of Alfred E. Newman from Mad Magazine? ‘What? Me? Worry?’

There can’t be a more pointless piece of advice than ‘don’t worry’. We have no control over our worries. In fact, they just sit there somewhere in the subconscious, eating away at our peace of mind like a mouse nibbling cheese.

It wasn’t surprising to hear, in the midst of the television broadcasting doom and gloom of the world economy and the potential global collapse, an enlightening news item, suggesting that worry is the chief enemy of health, especially in the so-called developed nations. Too Right!

It comes in many forms, from the global to the intimately personal, but it’s probably safe to say that not many people will lie awake tonight restless and anxious because of the style of Victoria Beckham’s hair or George Bush’s ability to pronounce the word ‘nuclear.’

Unless we have a loved one actually there, I don’t suppose even the anguish of Afghanistan or Iraq disturbs our sleep. Most of those consumed with worry tonight will be haunted by the need to pay the mortgage, or the utility bills, or fear for their jobs, or the welfare of their children or partners. Whatever its face – and it has many - worry is the world’s great nagger. It simply won’t leave us alone, unless sadly, we choose to drown it in alcohol or blow it away with drugs.

If we believe the news report - and I do - then this kind of anxiety and worry actually causes ill-health. It leads to smoking, drink and drug abuse, to over-eating and to sloth. It makes us powerless and helpless, the prey to every quack remedy and short-cut solution. We become less than we are and much, much less than we could be. And the awful thing is that very often we can see this, but feel helpless to do anything about it.

Interestingly, Jesus spent a substantial part of His famous ‘Sermon on the mount’ on this very subject, thus proving that anxiety isn’t simply a modern invention. In fact, the worries He pinpointed are much the same as have always troubled human beings since they began to live in communities: finance, food, drink, clothing, health, appearance. ‘Life,’ He said, ‘is more than food and the body more than raiment.’ ‘Well, yes,’ they may have muttered in the ranks, ‘but try living without them.’ To which unuttered objection He gave a simple reply.

‘Trust God to meet all your real needs, and don’t worry about the rest.’ He knows that you need them and wants you to have them - but get your priorities right:

‘Strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be yours as well.’ In other words, forget for a moment your own problems and concentrate on what is just and right and good, for others as well as for yourself. From that, only good consequences can flow. We shall be living as the Creator intended us to live.

Well, most have tried all the complicated remedies - drugs, therapy, counselling, hypnosis.


Perhaps it’s now time to try the simple one?

Loving Lord, hear our prayer. Give us the strength to bear all our joys and sorrows. Give us the strength to make our endeavours in Your name fruitful. Give us the goodness never to ignore the poor or those in need. Give us the wisdom to raise ourselves above petty things that do not glorify Your name and give us the strength to surrender ourselves to You in all we do. Amen

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