PENTECOST XXII
October 24, 2021
“Hanging On”
The chill of late October has come blowing in, and we’re no longer dreaming along through sunny, mild autumn days. Gray skies, blustery wind and swirling leaves leave no doubt that the seasonal change is taking place. And many of us cringe a bit in anticipation of the winter days that lie ahead.
It seems that the leaves are changing rather slowly from end-of-summer green to the vivid reds, oranges and golds of fall, but maybe that’s because of a change in our frame of reference. The trees lost in last year’s derecho can’t be replaced in a year, and several streets that used to be tunnels of gold are now just part of the route to work, the store, or wherever we’re going. Even as we adapt and replant, we’ll always miss those moments of beauty, and the sense of loss remains.
Have you ever watched the leaves falling and swirling about, and then noticed those remaining that appeared to be firmly attached to their twigs? What little extra keeps them hanging on when the air is filled with others flying about with abandon? It would be a little too fanciful to give the leaves qualities of determination or stubbornness, but I do think that we can see something parable-like in these observations.
We’ve all known people who are exceptional in their ability to cope with loss and tragedy with grace and strength, and we wonder how we’d manage in such circumstances. Could we keep it together, give comfort to others in pain, and survive a devastating experience? Throughout the Bible, we are encouraged to turn to our Father in heaven in all times of trouble, where we will receive love and understanding. He will never leave or forsake us, and by his grace we are given the gift of faith, renewed daily with his love. We are firmly attached to our tree, not because of our own determination or conviction, but because we are protected by the power of God’s love. We are able to hang on, because God is hanging on to us!
This past year has been filled with fear, grief, anger, and uncertainty, and we may indeed feel buffeted about by harsh winds, but God’s love is endless and boundless, and we are given the strength and ability to live in service to others, demonstrating that love in all we do and say.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the Romans, gave the new churches these words of assurance as they struggled to establish their communities of faith in spite of danger and persecution:
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Romans 8:38-39
Feeling protected and connected,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers