A Season of Life

It’s now springtime and the season of dormancy and death is losing its strength. Even as temperatures oscillate and the winds bring sleet one day and thunderstorms the next; that promise of life, hope, and joy is too potent for winter to reign in now! It’s in the air, you can smell it. Life! The birds sense it and sing. The trees feel its presence and begin to venture out of their hiding.

Interestingly, it is the smaller trees that come out first. The redbud and dogwood trees which are boldest, along with the pear. But then their older brothers and sisters are encouraged by the boldness of their siblings and life burgeons forth with increasing determination. Next the cherry, birch, and maple leaf out; followed by the ash, hickory, and mighty oak. That life within is called forth and drawn out by the loving gaze of the sun. And it is the affectionate stare of the sun that stirs that life within and calls each tree forward to be fully itself.  And not the trees only, but all matter of life on earth rises into itself in spring. Called forward by the sun, it obediently and joyfully manifests itself without a second glance back at the sorrows of winter left behind.

Only we humans hold onto the past and are burdened by fears of the future. It is we who are gifted and burdened with an understanding of time. And as such, we are the most hesitant and fearful of all. It is we humans who resist the call forward, who withhold ourselves and linger in a mindset of winter long past its time. And it’s not like we don’t have reason. With knowledge of things past and prediction of things to come, there’s much to be cautious about. But why should we give such things the power to steel away the hope, life, and joy which calls to us today? Why give our ear to the voice of worries and fears when Joy Himself is speaking to us? Let us be taken by the gaze of the sun and obey His call out of winter. 

*Accompanying music for this post is Power of the Gospel, by Ben Harper. Find it at the top right side of this post to listen.

Power of the Gospel, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, Live from Mars