Letter from the Highlands, Summer 2004
By Anne Perry

Since last writing have had an excellent trip to America.  I was gone two-and-a-half weeks, most of it in May, and returned home on June 2^nd.  I went chiefly to give a lecture to a Librarian’s Conference in Vermont.  Book people, with selling or lending, always seem to have a certain quality of tolerance, kindness and intelligence, and a width of interest that makes them attractive.

I started by visiting with long-time good friends in New Jersey, then went up to Vermont, and finally back to New York.  Naturally I saw various business friends, did some superb shopping – I really excel at that in America, because the clothes fit me far better than they do at home!  I saw some good films, one show, and went to the Byzantine exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum.  I walked miles, and altogether had a terrific time.  I even wrote five chapters – first draft of my third World War One story.

Before the flight from Vermont to New York, we were delayed for nearly two hours, and sat in quite a small airport lounge.  There were not many of us, and we fell into conversation.  When you don’t have urgent business, or a connecting flight, that can be such a pleasure.  One man was an airline engineer by profession, but as a sideline he farmed alpaca!  He had a fleece with him, as soft as a cloud!  He told us quite a bit about alpacas, including how much he liked them.  Did you know the babies are called cria?  I didn’t!

Another person waiting was a woman who teaches modern American history, from 1945 to the present day.  I would love to have listened to her for longer.  All kinds of wonderful, controversial things could have been discussed.  What a bright woman!  Talking to people can be such an exciting, uplifting and mind-opening thing to do.

I returned home safely to find the garden had grown almost beyond belief in hot, sunny weather, and now days so long it barely gets dark at all.  It is still quite light enough to see your way around at midnight, and dawn is well on the way by 2a.m.  And there has been some rain as well.  Weeds that were not there at all when I left, are, without exaggeration, two feet tall!  With a little exaggeration, maybe even three feet!

The tree peony blossoms are nearly over and the last one left is a foot across!  The clematis is like curtains on the trellises, the lupins much like an army of pink and yellow spears, and there are so many scarlet and crimson poppies in flower they dazzle the eyes.

There was one sunset when it looked as if the sky and sea were on fire and I was hanging out of the study window at 10.35p.m. taking photographs!  One of them is included!  Also a picture of fading light across the sea of the Portmahomack beach late on a dull evening.  And of course some flowers.

It has been a historic month.  We have remembered the sixtieth anniversary of the D-Day landings, perhaps the last major one at which we will have veterans present.  And it was also the first which the Chancellor of Germany attended, to honour the German fallen as well as the British, Canadian, American and French.  Never forget the huge number of French civilians that died in the bombardment.  I find that very moving, and perfectly appropriate.  It is time to remember that all those who fought, did so for their countries, and in the belief that they were right.  Anything other than that is for God to judge the individual thoughts and reasons, not for us.

It was fast day at church, and almost all those who bore testimony spoke of it in one way or another, and with gratitude for the privileges we have today, bought at such a price.

My good friend Alex spoke of D-Day as Decision Day, time to be clear and commit ourselves to serving one master or another, in the certainty that we cannot serve more than one.

I think sometimes we have the illusion that there is middle ground where we can put off decisions.  I don’t believe there is.

The closest to middle ground is that place where we are slow to make judgements of other people, especially before we have heard their side of things.  So often we don’t know all the facts, and there might be at least one, which would change the meaning of everything.  As my Mother used to say to me – ‘But if you just knew the one thing more!’  And sometimes that ‘one thing’ was so powerful that it made all my feelings different.

There is certainly middle ground between one culture and another.  There are so many things in which there is no right and wrong, simply taste, or what one is accustomed to.

I discover that very forcibly when travelling.  Other people do some things differently – but when you get used to it, it is usually just as good, it was only unfamiliar.  And why should it be the same?  Difference is fun, it is interesting, it adds colour, width and variety to life.  Not every flower in the garden has to be the same.

The other historic event, of course, was the death of President Reagan.  I find it very moving to listen to tributes from so many people, of such variety and nationality, station in life, age and culture, all speaking so well of one man.  It seems he had a core of decency, an inner integrity of which everyone felt a sense.  We have too little of that in public figures, and how precious it is.  Many may have disagreed with his views of one thing or another:  I heard no one say they personally disliked him, or that he was rude, arrogant or hypocritical.  We need more people of such stature, and of whose inner honesty we may be sure.

I am not suggesting we ask other people to become such - we must do so ourselves.  We should be seeking to lead, not to be led.

We had an excellent day in Church the week after.  From start to finish I felt it alive, exciting and uplifting.  I spoke first – more of that later.  The second speaker was our High Counselor.  He was unusually articulate and covered several subjects.  At one point he told us of good things going on in other parts of Scotland, especially in Glasgow where it seems they have had an open forum for discussion with leaders of many other faiths, giving each an opportunity to take twenty minutes to explain their own teachings and beliefs.  I find that wonderful!  And if we are certain of our own faith, we should fear no other, but reach out in friendship towards them.  He said it was most successful.

And in Dundee they had a car boot sale in which they invited all sorts of charities to come and participate, and keep for their cause whatever they made.  Again, a reaching out, open-mindedly, into the community and showing them that we are good people, friendly to all, reasonable, honest and benevolent.  I think that was excellent.

He also mentioned a shop in Aberdeen (our Stake Headquarters – almost four hours away by car  - less by plane!) called ‘ALASKAN SEA’.  He was amazed, and wondered what on earth Alaska had to do with Aberdeen.  He went in to find out if they had anything to help him make better sandwiches, having been suddenly landed with a catering responsibility, something in which he had no skill.

They had, and were very helpful.  He enquired about their highly unusual name.  It was translated for him – ‘I’ll ask and see!’  A good motto for life, and he used it to apply to our turning to the Lord – ask!  Ask for wisdom, for guidance, for comfort, for assurance of God’s love – and you will see!  The answer may not always be what you expect, or what you wish, but if you come as close to the Lord as you can, and ask with faith and as clean a heart as you may – you WILL see – there WILL be an answer.  There will be understanding, guidance, the revelation that God is there, and that He loves you.  There may not be the provision of what you want – but there will be what you need.

I spoke on Home and Visiting Teaching, as I had been asked to do.  I began with the Scripture in which Christ asked Peter - ‘Simon Peter, lovest thou me?’  The answer – ‘Lord, thou knowest I do!’

‘Then feed my sheep!’ 

That has to be a call to give what we can of whatever nourishment of heart, mind, spirit and body of which that person may stand in need.  And in order to know what that is, we have to know that person as well as we can.  They need to be able to trust us not only to be there, but to be kind, to honour their confidence in us, repeat nothing that is told privately, make no hasty or unkind judgements.  We need to be living, as much as we can, in such a way as to have the Holy Spirit with us, to sense a need, to understand what we are told, and to read the silences as well, with a sensitivity to what we are NOT told.

Then we need to know what we can do to help, and what we cannot.

Pure religion is to visit the widow and the fatherless.  ‘Widow’ surely does not mean only those women who were married and whose husbands are dead.  Does it not mean anyone who needs protecting, perhaps providing for in some way!  And fatherless?  Are we not all fatherless at some time, in heart or mind, in the need for love, understanding, guidance, assurance that we are loved, and that what we do is of value?  It should be our duty and our wish to offer that support and comfort.

And it must be done with love.  Who wants to be cared for out of duty?  ‘I came to see you because I was told to?  It is my job!’

Or ‘I came because I like you, and I care what happens to you.  I want you to be a success – and happy!’

That question is not even worth asking.  St. Paul said it all perfectly, in his letter to the Corinthians:  ‘Though I speak with the tongue of men and of angels, and have not charity . . . I am nothing!’  Not little – NOTHING!

There are two stories that are probably myths, just stories, but they have a message.

On His way to Golgotha, carrying the cross, weak from the horror of Gethsemane, and from trial and beating, Christ hesitated in a doorway, desperate for a moment’s respite.  The man, whose shop it wa,s told him to move on!  ‘Don’t stop here!’  The man was afraid that he might be taken for a sympathizer, and suffer some punishment himself.  Legend has called him ‘The Wandering Jew’ and said that he is denied rest eternally, until Christ should come again.  He may never stop, nor may he find peace. 

The other is of Saint Veronica.  She is supposed to have ministered to Christ on that same terrible journey.  She wiped His face with her kerchief, which bears the image of his countenance to this day.

Are we not all bound on a journey, which is at times hard, and seems more than we can bear.  If you see someone struggle and seem to buckle under the weight of their burden, do you shrink away and tell them to keep going?  Or do you stop what you are doing and minister to them? – and perhaps bear away with you the image of His countenance?

‘In so much as you do it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye do it unto me!’  Need we even think beyond that?

We have each been given the privilege of caring for a few people in our own wards and branches – ‘Feed my sheep’.  Surely there can be no answer except – ‘Please help me to do it well.  Please inspire me to know their needs, and how to meet them.  And thank you for asking me’.

In Relief Society we are working hard to put together kits to supply newborn babies with a few of the things they need – for orphanages in countries of desperate poverty.  We really ARE working now to be a society of women who are actively engaged in relieving suffering and want, not simply sitting around talking about it, or about how we ought to be better!  We are achieving something.

In Sunday School one remark leaped out to my ears and to my spirit.  We were speaking of conversion, and what it means.  One sister said – ‘We change as we live this part of life here on earth.  We began as one thing, and we need to become changed into another.  Maybe God will not take the caterpillars back home again, so we must become butterflies.’

There is nothing wrong with caterpillars, in their time – but only the butterflies can spread their glorious wings and fly upwards!

It is not long as a caterpillar, but it matters!  Grasp it – and work with all your heart and soul, mind and strength to become a butterfly!

Butterflies make it!  That’s what we are supposed to be, and what we are destined to do!