大象传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Ennette C Lainchbury

Good Morning Good Morning,

To my surprise, my husband has been dipping his toes into whisky tasting. When we were on our date night earlier this week, he ordered a whisky neat with a little jug of water. If you鈥檙e out there and you鈥檙e listening and you鈥檙e a whisky drinker, you鈥檒l know this is the proper way and the fancy way to enjoy whisky!

I ordered my fruity mocktail, but then of course we had the obligatory 鈥渄o you want to try mine, let me try yours鈥�. Like a glutton for punishment I said 鈥渙f course, let me try this whisky鈥� knowing full well I don鈥檛 like whisky. So first, I felt the inevitable chemical burn of the liquid in my throat, but this was followed by a very surprising, unexpected smoky loveliness and then minutes later a leathery, woodsy taste filled my mouth. It was this entire flavour journey that required tiny sips with long breaks in between; each sip essentially slowing down time and stretching out the evening we were having in the subtlest and most wonderful of ways.

The slow whisky sipping experience got me thinking of the Japanese word yutori. It鈥檚 a beautifully poetic word layered with meaning: more than intentionally slowing down, it means to savour the world around you, taking time to appreciate life, reflecting and finding balance in it, and experiencing a spaciousness of the soul. Gosh in my busy, fast-paced life, I know I definitely want more yutori.

Lord, I鈥檓 learning to discover you in the minute and the ordinary. God, your kingdom is as miniature as it is vast. Amidst the social media temptation to compare, prove, perform, and pretend, may I have the courage to live a smaller slower life. May I learn the discipline of lingering and savouring the small things that are a little taste of your kingdom here on earth now.

Amen