New

Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.

I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert. ~Isaiah 43: 19-21

Dear People of St. Peters,

Grace and peace to you on this fine Saturday. Daffodils, bluebells, redbud trees, dogwoods, cherry trees, and now azaleas are displaying their spring glory. I invite you to take a walk and let your soul bask in the beauty of God’s good creation. We need it right now. 

Tomorrow’s reading from Hebrew Scriptures draws from one of my favorite passages – Isaiah 43. The Israelites had been taken in captivity in Babylon after the fall of Jerusalem. A generation has passed and a new king has taken the throne – the Persian king Cyrus – who has chosen to liberate those who had been deported and allowed them to return home.

This is a tender song of praise to God’s abiding love for the people. God has not abandoned them in their exile and will abide with them in their return.  “I am about to do a new thing” God says, “now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”

Friends, in this time of disruption, uncertainty, and challenge, let us hold fast to the root of our faith – God’s faithfulness. God is the source of our hope. 

Yet hope is a practice. Hope is cultivated. Rather than waking up and reading the news, feed your soul – read scripture, open your heart in prayer, and turn to your neighbor with generousity. God is found everywhere, especially among the sick, the suffering, the imprisoned, the persecuted, and those who are afraid. This is how hope is practiced.

As the psalmist reminds us, God is about to do a new thing. Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? Let us open our eyes and hearts to signs of God’s abiding love in our lives and in the lives of our neighbors. God alone is our hope.