Who knows what the next six months will bring?
Until then I will keep warm and wait for the day when the first martin returns.
And I will pray that in those six months, time doesn’t change me too much.
And I will be allowed to write about another beautiful day, in another season, in another year, in time.
I wrote that while experiencing a beautiful day last October, yet realizing all the signs indicated that the season would soon be gone. The purple martins, now removed from their houses, were on their long journey back to South America. On that weekend I had lowered the martin houses for the winter. In the coming months just as the martins do, I also would be retreating to places that would keep me warm as I waited for a new season to return.
Removed
Vanished
Gone
They’re just gone.
He’s just gone.
One day there, the next day gone.
Have you ever experienced that?
Someone or something you had one day but were removed from your life the next.
Sometimes, like the purple martins or the seasons, it’s temporary and they return.
Sometimes however, as with death, it is not temporary.
But is it not?
Jesus suffered death on the cross.
He was laid in the tomb only to be found removed a few days later.
But he wasn’t removed as Mary had thought.
“Woman, why are you crying?” asked the angels.
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
No one took Jesus away.
As was promised, as was the purpose of his crucifixion, he was risen.
Now as Easter approaches, it is April and another beautiful day, in a different season, and in a different year. It has been almost six months, and as I prayed for, time hasn’t changed me too much. On a recent weekend I cleaned out the tiny rooms where the birds would live and raised the three purple martin houses back to their high perch on top of the poles. It was warming up, and like the new season, the martins should be back soon too. In fact, three or four days later, I spoke with my mother, the martins had returned. The older ones go ahead first, returning to the places they are familiar with, places where they had nested before. They would soon be followed by the younger birds breeding for the first time.
In the coming days we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and we will return once again to a place we are familiar with.
The story of the tomb.
Jesus was gone, but he was not removed.
In this single event we are given hope. Hope of life eternal as was promised, hope of being reunited with those who went ahead first. Hope that maybe he’s not just gone forever.
And as we are reminded in Philippians Jesus is not a dead martyr to be pitied, but a living, reigning, returning Lord to be loved and emulated, both in present suffering and in future reward.
So as this beautiful day comes to an end, in this Holy season, this Easter season, I pray once again that time doesn’t change me too much, and for the hope and faith everlasting that this new season brings.
Postscript:
On the six Tuesdays during the period of Lent I was participating in a daily writing that we are doing at my church, Sterling United Methodist Church. The daily themes based on one word each day and some associated scripture. Today’s word is Removed . This post concludes my participation. Thank you for reading. If you would like to keep up with the posts from others click on this link here in this postscript.
