Denver Seminary

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
       A time to be born, and a time to die;
       A time to plant, and a time to reap;
       A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
       A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
                                 Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

This morning, I turned my chair around to face the painting that hangs behind it. The Cycle of Life, a hand-painted lithograph by Canadian artist Donna Kriekle. An apple tree branch is woven into a wreath that gradually and naturally moves through the seasons.

It tells me this: life flows from one season to the next. Winter gives way to Spring, Spring to Summer, Summer to Autumn, Autumn to Winter, Winter to Spring...

What time is it today?

Yesterday, I spotted the first emergence of my earliest tulips! Already, January fifth, Spring is pressuring Winter to let go of its grip.

Yesterday, too, my eighty-three year old mother surrendered another part of her life to an end that is pressing us all. Her body is letting go.

Is this, then, a time to weep or a time to laugh? A time to mourn or a time to dance?

Could it be both?

You, Lord, created time and existed before time. In your love and wisdom, you orchestrate events and lives, births and deaths, to accomplish your will in salvation history.

The birth of John - prepared the way.
The birth of Jesus, Emmanuel - brought God to us.
The death of Herod - brought the end of oppression and exile.
The death of John - brought Jesus' ministry into focus.
The death of Jesus - brought salvation and reconciliation to all he created.

My tulips are emerging into Spring. My mom is dying into eternal life.

Today is a time to weep and a time to laugh. As we mourn, she is preparing to dance!

Postscript:

Normally, I end blog postings by asking and answering The Three Questions. Today, I have tried to engage these questions implicitly within the text of the essay.