Some thoughts about Spring & Summer by Reverend Hannah Lane
As I sit in my office, the day is starting to feel longer and the light is seeming to last that bit more …yet it still feels cool, there is a chill in the air, and a dampness around as we emerge from the long winter months. I am starting to wonder if we will see the sunshine again! We know it will come eventually, but it is very easy to forget when we are cold, and things still feel damp and dark. However, every time I open the Bible I can’t help but be reminded of all the times in scripture when we are reassured of new life and seasonality. Care for creation is part of our Christian heritage and it is something which we read about time and again, even in some of the less frequented parts of our bible.
An example here is Psalm 104, which includes these verses among others:
You make springs pour into the ravines. They flow between the mountains.
They water all the wild animals. The wild donkeys come there to drink.
Wild birds make nests by the water. They sing among the tree branches.
You water the mountains from above. The earth is full of the things you made.
You make the grass for cattle and vegetables for the use of man.
You make food grow from the earth.
You give us wine that makes happy hearts.
And you give us olive oil that makes our faces shine.
You give us bread that gives us strength.
The verses here remind us of the good earth which we have been given to steward and look after, and of the gifts which we are thankful for. It may feel like the winter has been long, but the lengthening light suggests that spring, and indeed summer are on their way! If I close my eyes and imagine the scene described in these verses I can almost hear the sound of the running water, and smell the first cut of grass…
Time marches on, and so do the seasons of our earth. The spring and summer brings new life, new hope and new light into our lives. In the church we celebrate this seasonality with our liturgical festivals. Easter reminds us of the sacrifice of Jesus and the new life that was formed out of his resurrection. Forging onwards into the future, we can see the light and feel the warmth of the sunshine, warmth that makes our crops grow and supplies us with wine and bread as in the psalm above.
So, I invite you to meditate on these words awhile, imagine the scene that they conjure and think about what that stirs in you-sights, smells, things to touch. Ask yourself, how do you think this might relate to us and how we live our lives – as individuals and as communities together? How can we take these words, the promises and the praise, and use them in our own lives? Above all, I hope the reminder that we live in a place that thrives on its seasonality makes your heart happy and gives you hope that the winter will end, and summer will come.
