Summertime, and the livin’ is easy… (Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong) keeps floating through my mind. As does the tragedy of school shootings, drought level 2, and the division and rhetoric we hear each day. Add to that the miracle stories of the Gospel that we have been reading during this “Ordinary” time, while none of life feels ordinary.
I must admit that it’s hard to beat the beauty of Walnut Creek’s Open Spaces as well as the sights and sounds on my early morning walks. School is out, summer folks are arriving, festivals and events have begun in the Park and at Lescher Center.
I believe the corn will be knee-high by mid-July, and some people are already bragging about the produce growing in their gardens.
So how do we live this multi-layer, multi-dimensional reality of our lives and our faith? How are we called to respond to the grief, struggles, and sadness that surround us? How do we live fully into the message and promise of Jesus Christ of an abundant life, full of God’s loving kindness? Maybe you don’t think about any of these things. Maybe you just enjoy the exquisite moments of summer as each day comes. Or maybe you are so caught by grief, or the tension in the air, that you can’t sleep at night.
It is my belief that God is present at all times and in all places even when God may seem silent or absent. Sometimes I think the invitation is to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15) And sometimes I rejoice in God’s presence in my down-time, play-time, fun-time with family and friends. Every Sunday as we gather I soak up the Spirit at work, calling and inviting us into deeper relationship with each other, and the joys that this fellowship brings to my life.
We know that in this life there are ups and downs. Yes, it would be nice to always be “up”, but then again, I think of the roller coaster, and staying “up” would be no fun at all. Love came to earth, and dwells among us. May your summer be filled with God’s love.
Peace,
Lynne
