Sunny Banana
I am a school chaplain and the content is intended to encourage curiosity about Faith and it's impact on day to day life
The Sunny Banana, is a play upon the Zulu greeting, Sanibonani, meaning I see you.
As tech wrenches us from real life, we are not seeing each other. The Greek word 'idea' means to see. It is as if we have lost the idea of what it means to be human; social, communal, relational. The same word, to see, in Old English is 'seon' which has connotations of understanding.
Let's start seeing each other again, listening, respecting, and understanding each other and ourselves. After all, we are people through other people.
Sunny Banana
The Legend of Saint Mochae and the Blackbird
Have you ever been so captivated by beauty that time seemed to stand still? The legendary tale of Saint Mochae offers a profound glimpse into what happens when we pause our busy, practical lives to listen truly.
This Celtic legend powerfully reminds us that our rational, agenda-driven lives often leave little room for mystery and wonder. The story invites us to create space for stillness, to listen to "that song of eternity" that has been playing "since the foundations of the world began."
In our hyperconnected age of productivity and constant achievement, perhaps Saint Mochae's experience offers the spiritual counterbalance we desperately need.
Hello there, thank you for tuning in to the Thought of the Day. Today I have a beautiful story, the legend of Saint Mokai. Now, saint Mokai was an Irishman and he was a lion of a man that led by example. And one day he was taking a group of men into the forest to build a chapel, a place of worship where they could give thanks for their lives. And this wood was a hazelwood forest and you could bend and ply and work with hazelwood. And that's how they were building this chapel.
Speaker 1:And mokai was being admired. Mokai was being admired. He was being admired by a blackbird. A blackbird called over to mokai and said mokai, you are doing well, you're looking good, you are looking really good. Well done.
Speaker 1:The blackbird continued and said I don't know if you know this, mokai, but I am an angel, as angels can take forms of birds in these Irish and Celtic lands and, of course, in those days, blackbirds could talk. And the blackbird asked Mokai this question. He said Mokai, are you fixed with eternity? Are you open to eternity? Are you open to the more mysterious areas of your faith? Mokai was caught off balance, caught off guard really, by this question and he put everything down and he thought to himself. He thought, yeah, I suppose I could do with a bit more of that in my life. Suppose I could do with a bit more of that in my life. And so he was in this discourse with this bird, and the bird said to him again you know, I can see you're a practical man and you work really hard and you've got these goals, but could I sing you a song? And Mokai thought for a little bit and he said you know what? I would love that.
Speaker 1:And so Mokai started to hear this beautiful song. The blackbird started to sing and as he rested on his walking stick, his staff, autumn leaves started to trickle down his face. The sleet then started to rest on his shoulders, snow starting to form by his feet. And 50 years had passed. 50 years and for Mokai it felt like a moment. Mokai said that was so beautiful. Can you sing me another one? And the bird nodded positively and said of course. And another 50 years had passed. Autumn leaves, sleet and snow, and sunlight fell on Mokai and it was no waste of time these hundred years.
Speaker 1:The blackbird then asked Mokai, would you like another song, a song that God heard, when he said it is good, it is very good. And he sang a third song, and this was the song that the bird kept for last. You know when you save the best for last. This was the song and it awoke something in Mokai that reminded him of Eden, the Adam in him, the Eve in him, the holy mud that was breathed into him, into us. It was as if the morning had broken. That first dawn, that taste of eternity.
Speaker 1:This song was another 50 years long and when Mokai opened his eyes after this slumber, all was gone. The blackbird had left, there were no lads working around him and he thought that was quite odd and strange, but it felt again like an instant. He just got off his resting, off his staff, the Hazelwood ones had had disappeared and he walked back to camp where he had started. The strangest thing happened there, when there wasn't one before. A great big church was there and he went in and he, he asked somebody in the church there. He says what is this place? And they said this is the church of Saint Mokai, which was built by him and his helpers. And Mokai said where are the lads, where are the helpers? Oh, they are long gone, long time dead. They're all gone.
Speaker 1:And Mokai, amazingly, was part of his community that he created and he started to preach, but this time he wasn't just all about objectives and practical work and agendas and visions. Mokai to go home forever. He went back to that hazelwood, to that tree, where he met the blackbird and he entered into eternity. I wonder what you thought of that one. Quite a bit to take in, quite a bit to think about, but I'll leave you with this thought Life can be a bit too rational. Our lives can be a bit too theory-based, ideas-based and logical. As your chaplain, what I would say is to make time to be quiet, to be still and to listen to that song of eternity, to take moments to allow that song to enter your hearts. It's been played since the foundations of the world began. Thank you,