A' Ghealach, NASA/JPL/USGS, Misean Ghalileo 1992
Agus thubhairt cuid de na Pharasaich o mheasg an t-sluaigh ris, A Mhaighistir, cronaich do dheisciobail. Agus fhreagair esan, agus thubhairt e riu, Tha mi ag ràdh ribh, nam fanadh iad sin nan tosd, gun glaodhadh na clachan fhèin. (Lùcas 19:39-41)
Agus cuid de na Fairisínigh a bhí sa slua, dúirt siad leis: “A Mháistir, cuir ceartú ar do dheisceabail.” D’fhreagair sé agus dúirt: “Deirim libh, má bhíonn siad seo ina dtost, screadfaidh na clocha amach.” (Lúcás 19:39-41 [An Bíobla Naofa])
Oir glaodhaidh a’ chlach a-mach as a’ bhalla; agus freagraidh an t-sail as an fhiodh i…Gu cinnteach lìonar an talamh le eòlas glòir an Tighearna, mar a tha na h-uisgeachan a’ còmhdachadh na fairge. (Habacuc 2:11,14)
Óir tá na clocha féin ag glaoch amach ón mballa agus tugann na bíomaí freagra orthu ón gcreatlach adhmaid.... Óir líonfar an tír le heolas ar ghlóir an Tiarna mar a chlúdaíonn an t-uisce grinneall na mara. (Habacúc 2:11,14 [An Bíobla Naofa])
A Thighearna,
Is toigh leam na molagan mìne dathte ud air an tràigh. Tha e còrdadh rium, ‘s mi leam fhìn, tè a chur rim bhathais. Cho fionnar. Doimhneachdan sàmhach nan cuan a’ tighinn fa-near dhomh. Dìomhaireachd tìme. Is toigh leam an dlùth-bheantainn, a Thighearna. An nì fisigeach. Saoil an robh sin gu ìre nad inntinn a thaobh aran is fìon a’ chomannachaidh? Beantainn is smaointinn. An nì ro bheachd man nì.
Is e seòrsa de chlach mhòr a th’anns a’ Ghealach cuideachd, nach e? Crochte an siod sna speuran dorcha. A’ deàrrsadh le sàmhchair slànachail “Mar fhianais dhìleas ann an nèamh” (is toigh leam tionndadh Fraingis):
“Tant que la lune sera là, fidèle témoin, derrières les nuages” (Psaume 89: 38 [37]).
Is toigh leam a bhith coimhead ris a' Ghealaich. Saoil carson a bheil i cho còsach is millte? Tha mi smaointinn mu dhèidhinn d’aodainn-sa fhèin. Tha an salmadair ag eubhachd: “Till sinn, a Dhè, agus thoir air do ghnùis dealrachadh, agus saor sinn” (Salm 80:3). Tha Isaiah ag ràdh: “Is cho mòr a’ mhì-mhaise a rinneadh air a aghaidh, seach aon duine” (Isaiah 52:14). Thusa mar a’ Ghealach. Solas is creuchdan.
Tha d’Fhacal gu tric gad shamhlachadh ri cloich. Laoidh Mhaois ag ràdh:
A chionn gum foillsich mi ainm an Tighearna:
thugaibh-se mòrachd dar Dia-ne.
Is Esan a’ charraig, tha a obair iomlan;
oir is breitheanas a shlighean uile:
Dia na fìrinn agus gun eucoir,
cothromach agus ceart tha Esan...
An ann mar seo a dh’ìocas sibh don Tighearna,
O shluaigh amaidich agus gun chèill?
Nach Esan d’athair a cheannaich thu?
Nach do rinn E thu agus nach do dhaingnich E thu?...
Air a’ charraig a ghin thu tha thu mì-chuimhneachail,
agus tha thu dearmadach air an Dia a dhealbh thu.
(Deuteronomi 32:3,4,6,18)
Tha Daniel ag ràdh gu bheil am Messiah mar chloich “a dh’fhàs na sliabh mòr, agus lion i an talamh” (2:35).
Thuirt Thusa fhèin: “A’ chlach a dhiùlt na clachairean, rinneadh i na cloich-chinn na h-oisne” (Mata 21:42).
Agus tha fhios gun deach d’adhlacadh am broinn cloiche. Agus chaidh clach mhòr a charachadh air beulaibh an dorais. Gu h-annasach, tha sin a’ toirt na mara dham chuimhne a-rìst, a Thighearna. Thuirt Thu: “Oir mar a bha Iònas ann am broinn na muice-mara trì làithean agus trì oidhchean, is ann mar sin a bhios Mac an Duine ann an cridhe na talmhainn trì làithean agus trì oidhchean.” (Mata 12:40).
Tha fhiosam gu bheil mi dol caran fada le seo, ach tha e inntinneach dhomh gu bheil raon magnaiteach aig cridhe na talmhainn. A thaobh do cheusaidh thuirt Thu: “Agus mise, ma thogar suas on talamh mi, tàirngidh mi na h-uile dhaoine am ionnsaigh" (Eòin 12:32). Chan e dìreach clach a th’annad. Is e clach-iùil a th’annad!
Ach seo an samhla as fheàrr a chòrdas rium, a Thighearna. A thaobh clann Israeil san fhàsaich, sgrìobh Pòl na faclan iongantach ud: “oir dh’òl iad den charraig spioradail sin a lean iad: agus b’i a’ charraig sin Crìosd” (1 Cor 10:4). Ann an dòigh, cha b’e Canaan am fìor Thìr a’ Gheallaidh idir. B’e a’ Charraig ud. Thusa fhèin. A’ Charraig ud a bha còmhla riu fad an t-siubhail. A tha còmhla ruinne fad an t-siubhail.
“Beannaichte gu robh an Tighearna, mo Charraig” (Salm 144:1)
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Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it. (Luke 19:39-41 NIV)
The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it…For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (Habakuk 2:11,14 NIV)
Lord,
I like those smooth pebbles with their variegated colours. When I’m alone You know I love to hold one to my forehead and feel its soothing coolness. Sense the silent depths of oceans and the mysteries of time. I like the immediate contact, Lord. The physicality of it. Maybe I’m wrong, but I imagine that is partly what You have in mind with the communion bread and wine. Touch. Actuality over abstraction.
I suppose in a sense the Moon is one big rock too, Lord, hanging there in the night sky, shining with healing quietness. You call it your “faithful witness in the sky” (I like one of the French translations):
“Tant que la lune sera là, fidèle témoin, derrières les nuages” (Psaume 89: 38 [37])
I like gazing at the moon. Why is it so cratered and devastated? What has it witnessed? I think of Your own face, Lord. The psalmist cries out “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us that we may be saved” (Psalm 80:3). Isaiah says “His visage was marred more than any man” (Isaiah 52:14). You and the moon. Light and scars.
Lord, Your Word often seems to liken You to Rock. The Song of Moses says:
I will proclaim the name of the LORD .
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he…
Is this the way you repay the LORD,
O foolish and unwise people?
Is he not your Father, your Creator,
who made you and formed you?
You deserted the Rock, who fathered you;
you forgot the God who gave you birth." (Deuteronomy 32:3,4,6,18)
Daniel says that the Messiah is like a “rock which becomes a huge mountain and fills the whole earth” (2:35).
You Yourself said: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (Matt 21:42 NKJV).
And of course You were entombed inside a rock. And a big stone was rolled over the doorway. Strangely, that now reminds me of the sea again, Lord. You said “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matt 12:40 NIV).
I realize I am pushing it a bit, Lord, but it interests me that the actual heart or core of the earth has a magnetic field. Of Your crucifixion You say: “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (John 12:32 NIV). You are not just Rock, are You? You are “Magnetic” Rock! You are Loadstone!
But here’s the one I like best, Lord (and I think I am on “solid ground”!) Regarding the children of Israel in the wilderness, Paul writes the remarkable words “for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.” (1 Cor 10:4 NIV). In a sense the promised land wasn’t really Canaan at all, Lord, was it? It was that Rock. It was You. With them all the time. With us all the time.
“Blessed be the LORD my Rock” (Psalm 144:1 NKJV)
