Today as I write this it is May Day. Traditionally this is a day that is celebrated as a spring festival. It marks the revival of life in early spring after winter (as we in SE Iowa are facing some possible snow in the next couple days!). There are traditions of dancing around the Maypole, gathering spring flowers to decorate homes and churches, and sharing May baskets with loved ones. Singing spring carols and receiving gifts in return, and even courting has been part of celebrations. Aside from these celebrations, when “May Day May Day” is communicated it is a cry for help (from the French m’aidz).
A couple of “special” events in my life have happened on May 1. I performed my college senior clarinet recital on this day, and a number of years later I flipped my car on a gravel road going to aerobics class at 5:30am. The doctor in the ER thanked me for two things – for wearing my seatbelt and for not drinking! Pastor Ed was reminded tonight by his brother John that this is the anniversary of their father’s death 25 years ago, and also the 36th wedding anniversary of their sister Margaret and husband Jim.
What a mixed bag this day is, from celebrations of new life and marriages to the grief (and celebration of new life) that happens after a death; from the accomplishment of a recital to the totaling of a car (but not its driver!).
There is a commonality in all this, for God is in the midst of all of the events of our lives, from the most spectacular or life-changing events to the most everyday and mundane experiences. There is nothing that is separate from God. That’s what Jesus did, to make the connection between us sinful, human beings and our magnificent, ever-loving God.
And what does this mean for us? That God works in our hearts and lives to direct us and change us. That when we cry “May Day” God hears us and answers that cry. That in those times we even forget that God is present (mostly when our lives are running smoothly without much trouble) God continues to love and forgive us.
This is a cause for celebration this first week of May, as God is creating new life in us each and every day.
– Cindy Breed