Metropolitan United Church

    It is difficult to feel the true warmth of the sun when the wind is ever howling off the sea. Sometimes it is a north wind, scented with the oak, pitch and sweat of lost, legendary dragon ships. Sometimes it blows from the west bringing soaking, horizontal rain from the open Atlantic. Sometimes it appears as a southerly across  the Sound of Mull, or pierces from the east over Ben Mohr and the Scottish highlands beyond. From wherever it comes, it comes pressing. Hats are pulled down and zippers done up. The layered look of sweaters bulks the body. Eyes strain to see, and ears to hear anything beyond the whistle.

    If the wind were all to this life no one would come here. The sea would be too rough to risk tours to the birds or the high cliffs. The hills would be too beaten down to afford their happy walks and climbs. Animals would hide away, and flowers lie down before their seed-pods had grown fat with ripeness. If the wind were all, all would lose heart.

    People here are smart. They plan their lives around the windy patches and find for themselves places of shelter; dune hills, clefts in the rocks, the underside of upturned boats, a bench behind a stone garden wall. In these quiet places they feel the warmth of the light of the world on their faces and in their souls. They watch and listen, breath the quiet air, talk and eat and drink together.

    The wind blows hard where we live too. It roars in upon us from all directions, from the pace of life, the pressures to succeed, our fears of change, aging, illness, alienation, drift and death. Every day in the big city we dress for the power of the wind, and harden ourselves to lean into its gusts simply in order to get where we need to go.    

     Thank God for our church, a wind break on the way. In our building, and within our community there is ample place to gather, sit, breathe, listen, speak and share time and food and drink. Behind our garden walls, we can savour the beauty of being alive and actually feel how warm is the great sun that rules the heaven and gives all things to the earth, our home.

    There are no tricks here, no hidden agendas, no attempts to take your mind, your money or you sense of self. Here it is, plain and simple. In downtown Toronto, when the gales roar and the pressure climbs and falls, if you're winded you're welcome!