Thursday, March 19, 2020

Hope

All throughout my house, plants are blooming! African violets, shamrocks, basil, Christmas cactus and this wonderful Streptocarpus saxorum.


For me, these blooms are signs of hope, that even in this anxious time, life is moving forward in beauty and vitality. 

It reminds me of one of my very favorite quotes: 

Spirit, God, gathers unformed thoughts into their proper channels, and unfolds these thoughts, even as He opens the petals of a holy purpose in order that the purpose may appear. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 506:18

In this, I hear Spirit, God at work, active in creation, continually guiding and opening us so that we glorify God, fulfilling our purpose. Mrs. Eddy writes this quote as part of her interpretation of Genesis:

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters (like a bird brooding). Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Genesis 1:1-5 NRSV

I added the parenthetical phrase about a mother bird since it is present in some translations. The image of God like a mother bird brooding over creation is deeply comforting. There is a sense of safety and nurture. You could imagine this brooding coming in the midst of chaos as God brought order to creation or you could imagine creation occurring out of stillness, bringing activity and life. Whether in silence or in chaos, God is present. God is walking beside us whether we are calm in the midst of the present chaos surrounding Covid-19 or whether we are deeply anxious. 

God is not only present, God is sustaining, nurturing and creating something new. I find hope in our deep care for one another by taking precautions against contagion like staying home and good hygiene. I find hope in our increased opportunities to enter the silence of God's presence. I find hope in the fact that by being still, we are reducing our carbon footprint. I find hope in the fact that we are seeking out new ways to connect and helping our friends to use social media and other ways to stay in touch. 

The blooms will blossom, friends. At the end of all this, God will still be with us and we will have been guided to our purpose of glorifying God, of sharing God's love and grace with each other in new, vibrant and beautiful ways.

Pastor Cheryl

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