01-03-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 3, 2025
When tragedy and immense grief surround us, we can also laugh. This doesn’t mean we’re insensitive to what people are going through. Yes, the people of New Orleans are experiencing a wide range of emotions, from fear to despair. We acknowledge what they are facing this night, and for the families directly impacted, we pray for the work of healing. Yet while families were grieving, visitors to that city were anxious and uncertain, and others were feeling a general sense of trepidation that is always brought on by such events. I was out with family whom I’ve not seen in over a year. We laughed so hard that it hurt. We enjoyed each other’s company over good food and drink, and we laughed some more. Our laughter wasn’t meant to be disrespectful of people’s immense suffering, but life is always a mix of both joy and sorrow. As Ecclesiastes 3 wisely says,

“There’s a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens: a time for giving birth and a time for dying…”

At any given moment in human history, while some individuals grapple with the profound sadness of losing a loved one, others rejoice in the immeasurable joy of welcoming a new child into their lives. When Ecclesiastes spoke of seasons, I don’t believe there was this naive notion that one season would patiently wait as another season came to an end. Seasons overlap, often more than just two at a time. Most of us are immersed in just a few at any given time, but someone we know and love is often experiencing a very different season. This isn’t wrong or disrespectful. It is life, and though we honor where people are in their journey, we don’t ignore our own. We might pause for a time to walk closely with someone needing the help, and in a spirt of empathy feel that person’s pain, but it doesn’t keep us from going out with some friends and telling stories that make us laugh to the point of tears. Some might say life is complicated. That’s true, but I wonder if the word ‘rich’ is better. 

Whatever season of life I am experiencing, O God of all existence, I pray that I am able to be fully present, as that is most often what is needed. At the same time, even when others find themselves on the other end of the emotional spectrum, it doesn’t make any emotion wrong or invalid. Help me to live my life to the fullest, which includes ministry to those who might be experiencing a very different season. Amen.