That Dreaded First Frost

September 28, 2020

Scripture

“And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:1-4 ESV)

That Dreaded First Frost

The pots and planters lining our back deck burst with a profusion of colours, brightening our pandemic days – until the first frost struck. Dull and wounded, the plants stare at me accusingly - “Why didn’t you put a cover over us to protect us?”  

They may be expecting too much of my gifts of anticipating frosts, but I don’t need to be a meteorologist to see that colder days and longer nights are on their way.  

Jesus liked to use simple illustrations about the weather to teach us to look deeper into what’s happening in our world. When his friends were jockeying for entitlement, he brought a child into their circle. “If you serve this little one, you serve me” is far more challenging a way to see the world than through some principles listing servant attributes.

In conversations I hear fatigue, grief, anxiety, anger, fear in our voices – not so much hope and vision for the future. Yet while we can’t anticipate clearly what’s ahead we can see the “little ones” who need our care and advocacy.

We are called to live with courage and hope, as the Christ who walked to the cross walks with us to the end of our road. Resentment and anger do nothing to improve our situation personally or in our communities. Service and love, though challenging, bring light into the murk.

A Prayer for Courage

Courage comes from the heart and we are always welcomed by God, the (heart) of all being. We bear witness to our faith, knowing that we are called to live lives of courage, love and reconciliation in the ordinary and extraordinary moments of each day. We bear witness, too, to our failures and our complicity in the fractures of our world. May we be courageous today. May we learn today. May we love today.  Amen. Amen.

(Padraig O Tuama. Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community . Canterbury Press)