Dear Friends in Christ -
As I write this, they sky drapes overhead, a white-grey sheet full of moisture waiting to let go at any point. There's a tension in the air. Even the birds feel it. Less of them are singing this morning; it's as if they're hold their breath, waiting . . .
The tension in the sky seems to heighten the general tension I feel these days. Tension about the economy. Tension about war. Tension about transitions . . . even though summer is a welcome change of pace, it is still a change, requiring more give and take, more fleet-of-foot adaptation.
Today, I looked for relief in the pages of Scripture, in the passages assigned for this day in the Daily Office (see sidebar for more information). And I found . . . well, not what I hoped! I found three stories of people living in the midst of HUGE tension. The story of Samuel, leader of the Israelites, being beseiged by people who are demanding a king to rule over them and lead them. The story of Stephen, a follower of Jesus, giving brave witness about the power of God to people who are about to stone him to death. The story of Jesus who, sitting with his disciples at the Last Supper, answers their greedy question about who is the greatest without flinching and then tells them - in spite of their pettiness - that they're beloved heirs of God's whole kingdom.
The singular thing that stands out to me in these stories is the power of choice. Samuel, Stephen and Jesus are all living SMACK in the middle of HUGE tension. And they stay the course. They keep their focus on what's important. They rely on God for strength. And they SING. They sing out words that are truth and justice and hope for those around them.
It would be a lie to say that the tension doesn't touch Samuel and Stephen and Jesus, doesn't impact them. Of course it does. All of them are human. But God's goodness continues to ripple to them and through them in their brave, steady faithfulness.
Today, in the midst of the tension, may you sing - sing the bit of truth you know, sing the hopeful longing in your heart - and may the presence of God invoked by your song bring sweet relief.
Singing,
Janet+
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