by Sr. Michele Vincent Fisher
“Did you hear them…the Wood Fairies…did you hear them singing last night as you went to sleep?” This question often rolled off the tongues of the new campers as they lined up in the camp dining hall for their first breakfast. It was told to the campers as they prepared for bed on their first night at summer camp, that if they got into their sleeping bags and stayed as quiet as possible, they might just be fortunate enough to hear the Wood Fairies sing them to sleep. It worked like magic!
I was blest to be one of those Wood Fairies who walked the tree line behind the tents as darkness settled in and lanterns were turned down, singing sweet chants and psalms led by our Baptist camp director and choir master! Truly, it was the best duty I was ever assigned! Those of us who were deemed “Program Staff” and did not reside in one of the camper units took on lots of different roles, but the most sacred role was that of Wood Fairy! We would meet in the camp office for “practice” to make sure we had our parts and harmonies memorized. Then, as quietly as we could, minus our flashlights and lanterns, we’d wind our way through the camp, stopping at each set of tents and lifting our voices in a sweet serenade. Sometimes, if there was noise or rustling in the tents, you could hear a little voice cry out: “Listen! It’s the Wood Fairies! They’re singing to us!” And suddenly, all around us was silence. It seemed that even the usual night critter noises would cease and listen to the soulful notes rising from the forest floor.
These moments of encounter with the Divine were truly moments of deep incarnation… the experience of the indwelling Christ so present in the exchange of voice, song, silence, darkness, walking and comforting. I used to consider those woods my cathedral, with God’s artistry enfolding me in awe and wonder. I learned to listen with the ears of my heart and to love more expansively. Such a simple gesture, yet so deep a prayer. In this year of Jubilee, may you discover a sweet song, a whisper in the dark that stirs your soul to compassion and joy!
I still love to sleep with my window open at night, hoping I’ll catch the sweet melody of the Wood Fairies’ songs. Can you hear them?”
