The
sidewalks of Dorset Vermont are all marble, slabs of white veined by nature and
stained by time, beauty from the hand of God. This quaint, picturesque village
was once home to a thriving quarry business dating back to 1785. For more than
150 years the quarry supplied marble for homes and office buildings as well as
tombstones.
The
drills, dust and dynamite are long gone, but the quarry is livelier than ever:
it is now filled with water from a mountain stream and has become the local
swimming hole, a favorite gathering place for young and old alike. The water is
brisk and refreshing, and daredevils love to plunge 25 feet from the sheer rock
face into the murky depths.
I’ve
swum in the quarry over the years, but it seems that each time I return to Dorset
I spend my time immersed in books rather than water. One author I return to
every time I’m in Vermont is the Rev. Frederick Buechner, who lives just up the
road from Dorset. I find his writings still as brisk and refreshing as the
waters of the Dorset Quarry.
Buechner
is 87 and no longer travels or preaches, but his voice carries through so
powerfully and timelessly in all his many books. His writings are grounded in
faith, wisdom, and compassion, reminding us that Jesus Christ reveals to us
what it means to be fully human, as well as who God is; that to be fully human
is to live in love, peace, and reconciliation; that love is not an emotion as
much as it is an act, something that defines how we are called to live as
disciples of Jesus.
“Power,
success, and happiness as the world knows them, are his who will fight for them
hard enough; but peace, love, joy are only from God,” he writes, reminding us
that “to become fully human as God intended us to be is to become
compassionate,” caring for others, friend and stranger alike.
“We
are above all things loved – that is the good news of the gospel.” That is the
good news revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ, who “never approached from on
high” but is always in our midst, in the web of our lives, knowing each of us
by name, calling us to follow him to new life.
If
you are not familiar with his writings, I encourage you to pick up one of his
books. In particular, I recommend Secrets
in the Dark, a collection of his sermons, and Listening to your Life, a book with daily devotionals and reflections.
Dive in – Buechner’s words always refresh, just like the waters of the Dorset
Quarry!
Grace
& peace,
Pastor Skip
