March 20, 2021
Good Morning, God and All...
Spring Fever. March Madness. All of us have experienced our own version of these.
It was one year ago that we came to a new experience; one that we didn't want or ask for. We're still living that, now amplified by reminders that winter's back has been (for the most part) broken. Aren't we looking for any reason to break the chains under which we have been burdened for...forever, it seems?
I confess I haven't written in a couple of weeks. While I was indeed recovering from an infected fingernail, that is something of an excuse. I have been running dry in the reflection department. That's easy when the cycle of events continues to remind me of...(how can I best state it?)..."the waywardness that is ours". as the Church states so eloquently in one of her many prayers.
In a recent reflection I wrote that often Lent calls us to 'make room' for our spiritual life to grow. Much like spring cleaning, when we're able to open the windows and let fresher air in, so also it is a time to do the same thing in a spiritual sense. I might not necessarily appreciate the process when it happens, but in the end I experience the blessings that come with it.
Rather than writing, I have been reading. Facebook has been pleased to remind me of the reflections I posted there from years past, and also of the time before FB when I posted regularly here. Yes, I unwittingly wrote them so that I would remember to read them when God felt I needed to, because in my feeble mind His holy Word simply wouldn't be enough. Not every one is a diamond in the rough, but none of them have ever been removed from my repository in cyberspace. I'm thankful it's still there, uncensored by anyone - especially me.
I have also been watching, looking for something refreshing as opposed to the airing of "classic" TV or the less satisfying current offerings on the tube. I found The Chosen. I don't know how I managed to miss it last year; maybe I was drowning in the sorrow that churches around the world had closed their doors to prevent spread of the pandemic - which was supposed to help 'flatten the curve in two weeks'. Needless to say that didn't work.
I found what so far has made Lent for me. The first season of eight shows is available to watch for free online. A second season will begin on Easter Sunday. Financial support to produce and air the program was done through crowdfunding. Millions have viewed the first season and are anticipating the show's return.
I am thankful for the opportunity to have seen this so far. More than a generic run through the Gospels or in a musical setting where the nuances can interfere with the storytelling, The Chosen appeals to me as a character study of the people who are part of the story. I won't go into great detail here - you really should see it for yourself. As with any retelling or reimagining of the Gospels, the producers have taken dramatic liberties in suggesting some of the characters' backstories and dialogue. All I can say to that is that nothing I've seen would have been impossible.
I have been praying that hearts would be unlocked. Change is always difficult, especially when we are forced into it (as it seems we nearly always are). In the heat of the moment, frustration that undesired things are happening - or that desired things aren't happening fast enough - is all too common. But when I set the moment aside, giving it to God, I realize I am still His. I forget my troubles - including my place in the hymn I might be singing at the time.
The arrival of Spring is one big reminder that the glorious splendor of Easter is near. I don't intend to let it pass by, like I had to one year ago. I pray you take care, and recall the ultimate act of love for all of us...
...Until we meet again, may God be with us; and have mercy on us...
+the Phoenix
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