Tuesday, March 29, 2011

patience

it's the end of march, yet up here in the mountains the snow lingers and the wind still stings like the touch of ice. the fields remain brown, and i have yet to see a single crocus. so where is my beloved spring, where are it's renewing sights?

yet on this morning, this very ordinary morning, something is decidedly different. the winter mornings in the the mountains are as silent as snowfall. but not this morning! the air is electric with the soothing songs of the returning birds. my soul rejoices as i sit in my armchair, eyes closed, just listening to spring's sweet symphony.

the sounds prompt me to look again for the sights of spring, and with renewed hope my eyes see the buds beginning to emerge on the trees and lilac bushes. looking more closely at the brown fields i notice tiny hints of green. and the lingering snow is slowly melting, and the icy winds are transforming too. taking the time to listen and look with patience, i am assured that indeed spring is here.

©2011 Halley Low

Sunday, March 20, 2011

don't give up, live up

(a lenten reflection)

lent is the time of year that many christians devote to spiritual preparation for the world altering event of good friday and easter sunday. for many that preparation is found in the act of giving up something, typically a physical enjoyment of some kind, as a sign of sacrifice and connecting with the sufferings of Jesus on the cross. Jesus did tell us to "denial yourself and pick up your cross". this directive is about moving away from self-centeredness to other-centeredness, just as Jesus laid down His life for others on the cross so that others might have the fullness of life. the tradition of "giving up" something for lent in rooted in this idea.

yet for many the "giving up" of something they like has become the exact opposite of the intention. how many of us have said, "i'm gonna give up sugar/ice cream/white flour/etc. for lent? we use lent as a reason to get our diet on track, to lose weight, or some other personal vanity. what happens to "sacrifice" when it is covertly used for selfish pursuits? remember the words of the prophet isaiah - " look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight...such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. is such the fast that I choose...a day acceptable to the Lord? is not this the fast that I choose; to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your homes?"

God isn't calling us to "give up" but to "live up". live up to our call as disciples of Christ. live up to the commandment to "love our neighbors as ourselves". so instead of "sacrifices" that benefit our vanities, why not choose to use lent as a time for true preparation by living up to the call. maybe you will be drawn to visit a nursing home once a week, or to set time aside each day for bible study, or to put aside a dollar a day and on easter offer it to those in greatest need, or any number of actions that foster growth in the christian life. why not choose to put down the mask of "godliness" and pick up the crown of life, polishing it a bit with acts of kindness and love. this is the fast God desires - to be a blessing to others as a sign of the blessing you have received in Christ.


©2011 halley low

Monday, March 14, 2011

rainy days and mondays

a quiet morning, from my office window i can see the snow lightly falling, the flakes bouncing about in the gusty wind. the sky is gray and blanketed in clouds. a seemingly peaceful moment, coffee in hand, yet i can not stop wondering about japan, and how this tragedy has become a global crisis demanding global conversation and action.

throughout our conversations it is necessary to be mindful of the true nature of the global crisis unfolding in japan. the earthquake and its consequences are terrible, though japan has dealt with this before only to survive and thrive. what is different this time, what really threatens japan in the long run, what really threatens the globe in the long run, is what happens to those three reactors. the crisis is not from nature's hand or God's, but from the hand of humanity.

and if you are looking for God in all this, do not look for God in the fury of the wave, rather be elijah and discern God's movement in the reviving breeze. God is the God of the living, the God of life, who always chooses life and directs us to do the same (deuteronomy 30:19). God is always for us. let us be with God, Who is with us, and in wisdom serve God and love our neighbor by doing the right thing.


©2011 halley low