Strength for Today, New Hope for Tomorrow: Part 1

Strength for Today, New Hope for Tomorrow

At the time of this writing, the whole world is in a state of shut down. Approximately two to three months ago, a nasty virus referred to as “COVID-19” infiltrated the whole world. It is extremely contagious & in many cases, deadly. People can’t always tell they are contagious for up to 2 weeks prior to experiencing any symptoms & thus unknowingly the virus is easily spread. There is no current cure & no end in sight as the virus is rapidly spreading across all countries. Hospitals are full to capacity & health care workers are becoming overwhelmed & ill. In an attempt to contain the spread of this potentially deadly virus, our nation & many others around the world, currently have been placed under quarantine. It is a very dark & frightening time in the world. Darkness, fear, dread, doubt, hopelessness, & despair fill the hearts of the people. It does seem like it will take an unexplainable miracle to bring light into this darkened world.

According to the calendar, we are now officially in the season of Spring when all of God’s creation is bursting forth with new life. Generally, as we enter this season the darkness & cold of winter has passed. The days lengthen & the warmth that comes from the increased light brings the earth to life once again in all of its glory, with birds singing & flowers beginning to grow, giving us hope & reminding us of God’s unending love for all of His creation. In the warmth of the light, the bulbs & seeds that appeared to have died in the winter, now burst forth with new life. Only God our Creator can bring life out of death. Spring, sometimes referred to as Easter in some faith traditions, is as a season of new life & hope, when all of God’s creation is singing in gratitude & joy.

However, despite what the calendar may say, this year, winter & spring are wrestling with each other. One day the thermometer says 50 degrees & a day or two later it reads 25 degrees. Wind, rain & even snowflakes persist as the sun tries to break through the dark clouds. In many ways, this year is very different than any other Spring we have ever experienced in our lifetime. Aside from the wrestling going on between winter & spring, instead of joyfully celebrating the gift of new life, we find ourselves experiencing the wilderness of unknowing & living in the dark season of fear & hopelessness that the pandemic brings to us. Many are struggling to find any hope for the future, barely noticing that the flowers that once lay dormant, are now displaying the gift of new life given to us by God our Creator.

~Posted by Rev Kathryn Bindig, MDiv. MS; Spiritual Consultant with assistance from Rich Muscatello; Director of Business Development & Strategy