Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither
whatever they do prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3

I know of the old adage ‘be wary of the friends you keep’ and that the persons whom you hang around with are the person you can become. The same is true of the TV series we watch, the films we watch, the books we read, the social media platforms we scroll through. We can absorb what we see in these and live them subconsciously.

In a ‘not sure what to do with my time now’ moment I binged watched a TV series having not done the same for about four years. In retrospect it was probably not a wise move, but as ever God transforms our unwise moves into profound wisdom if we have ears to hear and hearts opened wide to receive. Planted by the screen I was absorbing nonchalantly the humour of Stephen King horror moments. The second series of Mr. Mercedes has the captured serial killer lying in a hospital room in a persistent vegetative state. Many of the characters would sit by the bed in an attempt to find some resolution to the effects that his actions had had on them. But most of what they took away was anger and an increased obsession with the said killer. Meanwhile the unconscious killer was somehow subconsciously controlling members of staff to carry on his evil works. It reminded me of the effects of keeping bad company and that what you stay close to you absorb and can become.

Ironically the theme tune to this second series was the old negro spiritual ‘I Shall Not Be Moved’, the version by Mississippi John Hurt…

I shall not, I shall not be movedI shall not, I shall not be movedJust like a tree that’s planted by the waterI shall not be movedI’m on my way to heaven, I shall not be movedOn my way to heaven, I shall not be movedJust like a tree that’s planted by the waterI shall not be movedI’m sanctified and holy, I shall not be movedSanctified and holy, I shall not be movedJust like a tree that’s planted by the waterI shall not be moved

I first came across this song in its adjusted version on the football terraces…’We shall not, we shall not be moved, we shall not we shall not be moved. Just like a team that’s gonna win the F.A. Cup, we shall not be moved.’ It was also prevalent on the left-wing protest marches of my youth. “We” replaced the “I” of the original followed by the latest cause of protest as during the 1960’s civil rights movement where it was sung, ‘We’re black and white together we shall not be moved.’

It is interesting how the original “I” was replaced by “We” as if the black slaves of America had no collective consciousness in their singing and striving for freedom. This distinction is important as it begs the question of who comes first, the individual or the collective. It crept into the church with the vernacular rendering of the mass after Vatican II. In English the creed became ‘we believe in God’ until Pope Benedict XVI caused the reversion to a more accurate translation of the original Latin “Credo in unum Deum” as ‘I believe in God’. This may seem like splitting hairs, but our individual assent to God and his will is primary – what follows that is a feeding into and building up of the community. Both collectivism and individualism are distortions of the truth about the human person but the “I” in God is the first step to redeeming both. It is learning to see Eden before the serpent hissed his distortions into human flourishing. That peace, joy and fulfillment are our destiny, so they too need to be the wellspring that we draw from.

‘Original Source’ is the brand name of a shower gel I like to use that claims to use only natural ingredients. In the spiritual life our original source is God the eternal Word and Father – nothing added and nothing taken away! We need to stay near to this source. The distortions of what it means to be human come with our life experiences and the places we visit on our journey. Learning to see through these distortions of our human identity in God is part of our growth. As is finding a way to stay close by to our origins and sources. This struct me when trying to keep a monastic routine going by checking in with a monastery webcam. When the internet connection was not great the voices became distorted. I was initially frustrated but then became thankful that I could still hear the monks singing and praying. I was able to follow well enough because of my growing familiarity with the liturgy. I had been planted by it long enough to have gained that familiarity.

I am writing this in East London. I am here for six weeks before returning to Ireland. I do not like living in London, I left here when I was 19 years old for good reason! I am like a fish out of water, and I miss the Emerald Isle! But our good God has given me consolation. At the end of the road is the start of Epping Forest…Wanstead Flats. I try and walk there when I can and sit by Alexander Lake. It is an oasis in the desert of the city. There I can pray and reflect better and feel more connected to God. Deserts, whether the concrete or sandy versions are only temporary. The Israelites didn’t stay in the desert, Jesus didn’t stay there. They were stations on the journey in rediscovering the source. Desert experiences help us to find that spring of living water, by which we must plant ourselves. These can come in the form of places or communities and relationships firmly rooted in the Lord.

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit

Jeremiah 17:7-8

The tree that is planted by the water, has no fear of drought. Planted beside that powerful place and source of God’s love will give us enough strength to endure times of hardship. We need to make sure we are fully located in an inspiring place and community. We need to allow ourselves to be situated in a place where we can absorbed an abundance of grace, enough to sustain us in this journey of life, especially when we are required to move on to the next port of call.

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

Psalm 46