Of course it is not only the turtle dove that is slowly disappearing; other species have gone missing. Yet, ‘turtles’ carry profound symbolism: their pair-bonding an allegory of marital tenderness and devotion, their mournful ‘turr-turr-ing’ the song of love lost. The stuff of Chaucer and Shakespeare, this symbolism is vanishing to our nation.
And yet it is a picture not of a love-struck pair but rather an isolated and anxious ‘turtle’ that may challenge us most. It is said when a ‘turtle’ cannot find its mate it will not sit still, or drink refreshing water, nor rest in the shade, nor mingle with its companions. It is lost without its mate, left anxious and restless. But when it finds its mate it does all these things—restored, it flourishes once again.
There is much about modern life that separates and isolates us. ‘For far too many, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life,’ said former PM Theresa May as she launched a ‘minister for loneliness’ in 2018. Community is essential to human flourishing, and Grasmere has an active community with many clubs and societies.
I moved to the village six months ago and it has been great to hear of and experience different parts of the village community during that time.
On Saturday July 12th we will hold the traditional Grasmere Rushbearing. Lots of hard work goes into the success of the weekend—thank you to those who give of their time and talents so generously. Rushbearing has a rich heritage, it’s a visible sign of belonging to the Grasmere community and a great opportunity to come together and celebrate our connection to Grasmere.
Yet the 16th-century writings of the Christian mystic, St John of the Cross, prompt us to ask whether humans require something in addition to community. Does the human soul yearn for that which is even higher than human connection? Certainly most of us would recognise the importance of connection to nature as a force for good.
But John uses the analogy of the turtle dove to invite us to consider the importance of the search for God, the one who made us for himself. St John of the Cross writes, “The Bridegroom (God) calls the human soul ‘the turtle-dove’ because when it is seeking after the Beloved it is like the turtle-dove when it cannot find its desired mate. Such too must be the soul if it is to attain union with the Bridegroom. The soul’s love and anxiety must be such that it cannot rest on the green boughs of any Joy, nor drink the waters of the world’s honour and glory, nor recreate itself with any temporal comfort, nor shelter in the shade of created help and protection. It must mourn in its loneliness until it finds the Bridegroom to its heart’s content.”
My prayer this year is for our Grasmere Rushbearing to be a celebration of all that is good about the village and its community, that we may flourish as we find new and deepen existing connections to one another and also to God.
Peace,
Lawrence