Rev. Michelle's Message February 29, 2024

Happy Leap Day!

As February comes to an end, we are surely in a time of

transition…..one minute we still feel the cold and rain of winter and

the next we are bathing in the glorious sun of early spring. We go out

in short sleeves only to find ourselves putting on a jacket shortly

after. We see the buds of new flowers and green grass everywhere,

even as the nighttime temperatures still require flannel sheets and an

extra blanket. We are in the in-between time…spring emerging all

around but winter still tenaciously hanging on.

You may find that your own mental-emotional state is congruent with

this in-between-ness we are experiencing–one day you may feel full

of the hope of spring, reveling in the clear skies and longer

days….and the next day you may feel a mild sadness or even

impatience as the rain and the cold linger. Punxsutawney Phil’s

prediction notwithstanding, we still have a good three weeks left of

winter.

As a recent blogpost on the Center for Spirituality in Nature’s website

so aptly described, “Our world echoes this dance of hope and worry;

we see suffering and need alongside blessing and abundance. Wars

continue to rage even as new life brings joy and promise.”

This is liminal space, a time of transition, with a tangible in-between-

ness that can challenge our vitamin D-deprived selves, but that also

offers rich opportunities for spiritual growth and reflection.

The blogpost goes on to describe this seemingly paradoxical state of

nature at this time: 

Although the ground may look dormant, it is full of life. In

fact, there are more microscopic organisms in one

teaspoon of healthy soil than there are people on the

planet! There are bacteria, amoebas, and fungi. There are

nematodes, tardigrades and earthworms. Even in winter,

there is life in the soil. There is power in the dirt. On the

surface we may see death, but under the microscope we see life.

This statement seems apropos as we move through the Lenten

season in preparation for the celebration of Easter. After all, the

Easter story is primarily a story about eternal life. While Jesus died

on the cross, and while we and everyone we love will also die one

day, we find our hope in the knowing that Life itself is eternal. That

the infinite energy of love and light and intelligence and goodness

that we call God and that is present in each and every atom and

molecule of Creation is never-ending.

Nature has so much to teach us about life and about hope. As we

see the signs all around us that tell us that spring is coming, may we

place our hope and faith in the eternal nature of Life and the infinite

nature of God’s Love.

Many Blessings,

Rev. Michelle