Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
We live on the edge of a metropark and when the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes came through, it permanently changed the landscape. There was far less green that summer and I worried about what the spring and summer of 2020 would look like…would it really feel like spring and summer if life in the forest could not return because of the damage? Of course, nature worked her magic and I was pleasantly surprised by the new life and abundant growth that still surrounded us. There were still buds bursting open and a sense that summer was near. While the landscape was forever changed, the continuing signs of growth and life provided reassurance, especially in a year full of turmoil and disarray throughout the world. One of the greatest obstacles I have faced in 2020 has centered on mental and emotional strain--the lack of certainty, the constant change, and dearth of hope caused by the challenge to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
The COVID-19 pandemic is not like the seasons which, even after damage like a tornado, find ways to burst forth and bring new life. I have no sense that the end is near and cannot as easily see signs of hope. I cannot see the virus and cannot fully grasp the level of risk as we navigate decisions about daily life and interacting with others. As I read today’s first reading, I am reminded that life is full of uncertainty. While the pandemic brings that uncertainty to the forefront of our everyday lives, the apocalyptic descriptions in Revelation loom in my mind as reminders that I also do not fully understand the much bigger picture of eternity. It can be frightening, especially if we dwell on the darkness. This sense that “all the dead were judged according to their deeds,” (Rev 20:12c) provides guidance and reassurance for us. As we embark on a journey this coming year focusing on faith, hope, and love, we can easily align our “deeds” with these virtues. If we allow faith to guide us and hope to ground us, our love can become the physical manifestation of our faith.
As usual, Jesus’ words in today’s gospel also offer reassurance…“know that the Kingdom of God is near” (Lk 21:31b). Even if we cannot see signs as obvious as the blooms of fig trees, we know that God lives among His people--he is Emmanuel, God with us. We do not travel this journey alone; “here God lives among his people” (Rev. 21:3b). In a time of great uncertainty, the promise of “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev 21:1) rings forth; the presence of Christ in one another. We are called to be in communion with one another and with our God. Today, may we sense God’s presence here among us.
May God Bless You,
LeeAnn Meyer