Power Outage!

For twenty hours yesterday and today, we were without power on Iona -not just in the Abbey but on the whole island. The experience reminded me about how essential electricity is in my life. Without electricity, there were many things that I could not do or which became a lot more difficult to do: I could not boil water in the kettle and had to heat water over the gas stove; I could not take a hot shower; I could not walk anywhere or do anything without a battery powered flashlight; I could not heat my room and so had to wear more clothes and pile on extra blankets; I could not send an email; I could not make a phone call or listen to music nor could I watch a movie. It made me appreciate just how many things I take for granted everyday that I just expect to be there.

Sleeping under three duvets and four blankets to keep warm:

In this morning's worship, the prayers which began our time were prayers of thankfulness for the shelter, food, people, and the things that we did have and remembering and praying for those who have experienced floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, and other natural disasters who have lost so much more than electricity in one short night. And so while there were many things I could not do during that time without electricity, I appreciate the space it offered me to slow down, to sit with new friends in front of the fire, bring awareness to the bounty of my living, gain a little glimpse of what it would be like to loose comfort, and send out some loving thoughts for those who face the reality everyday of living without the comfort of electricity, shelter, food, clothing, plumbing, and warmth in far more challenging and even life threatening ways.