Are you a list maker? I know I am. I make lists of things to get at the grocery store. I make lists of things to do at church. I make lists of things to take care of at home. I make lists of people I need to contact. I make lists of many things. And it usually is some kind of ‘to do’ list.
In the novel Orbital by Samantha Harvey, every so often there is a list made by one of the astronauts, Chie, from Japan. The first list comes after a beautiful paragraph about the astronauts bonding over their situation together: “Their loyal, monogamous circling which struck them last night as humbly beautiful. A sense of attention and servitude, a sort of worship. And though they looked out before going to bed. . . it wasn’t the moon that entered their dreams, but their own wild garden of space outside the spacecraft – the garden they’d all at some point walked in. And the ever-electric blue pull of the earth.” [p. 47].
You turn the page and there is a list:
Irritating Things
Tailgaters
Tired children
Wanting to go for a run
Lumpy pillows
Peeing in space when in a hurry
Stuck zips
Whispering people
The Kennedys
It’s somewhat random. And later on the page another list: Reassuring things. This list includes pumpkins. [pp.48-49] On page 86 there is a list of Surprising things including Green clouds and Children in bow ties. Later in the book there is a list of Maddening things. This list includes Church bells that ring every quarter-hour and Blocked noses. [p. 145] The final list in the book is Anticipated things including Need of a winter coat, Plums, Slamming a door in anger. And finally after this last list, an explanation of the lists. Apparently, the astronaut, Chie, from Japan, used to make lists as a child when she was anxious or disturbed. It was a way to help her express and control her feelings. And she kept it up when she faced challenging circumstances in her life. The lists are calming, insightful, and illuminating.
I am wondering about making some lists like these, especially in our trying times. We could even start with Chie’s subjects: Irritating things. Reassuring things. Surprising things. Maddening things. Anticipated things. You are encouraged to try make such a list this week. What do you learn about yourself and your feelings in the process?
Prayer: In this Lenten season, we seek to know ourselves more deeply so that we can be honest about who we are. And how we feel. And what we can do to be more loving like Jesus. Maybe making a list will help prevent us from “Slamming a door in anger.” Amen.
No devotion tomorrow, Sunday.
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Devotion prepared by Rev. Kim P. Wells, pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL
The devotions this Lenten season will be based on the novel Orbital by Samantha Harvey. Orbital won the Booker Prize in 2024. It is a beautifully written story about the experience of a group of people orbiting the Earth in a spaceship. They see 16 sunrises and sunsets in a 24 hour period. The book is a reflection on the experience of living together and appreciating planet Earth in a new way.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 