April 12th, 2020

​Jesus’ Song Lives On

Last week we had a 4 month old puppy stay with us overnight.  He had been surrendered to Bright Eyes Dog Rescue a month earlier and had been living on a farm a few hours away.   He was now at our house waiting  for his new family and for his new life to begin.
 
Peanut was a huge puppy – a 40 lb Bernese Cross.  He was a bright spirit, filled with energy.
 
I got up around 6:00 am and we went outside.  The sun was rising and it was cold- about 10 below.  I sat on the step snuggled in my parka and he lay on the frozen ground chewing on a stick.  I heard the sound of a song bird- a single note – and wondered how the creature had made it through the frigid night. The bird kept on with its single note and gradually the notes grew stronger, longer and more melodic. Then   other birds joined in.  Soon there was an early morning chorus of bird song. 
 
I looked up and saw a squirrel in the tree.  Peanut also saw the squirrel and watched intently as it  jumped from limb to limb, and then from one tree to another.  He raced over to the foot of the tree, sure that he could jump up to catch the critter.  He tried several times and then gave up.  He had been outsmarted.
 
As I watched the scene I thought about the Easter gospel stories set at the tomb at dawn.   Why did the women come at dawn? What were the writers trying to tell us?
 
Historians say that this was the earliest that they could come to properly prepare Jesus body for burial.
 
If we look at the story symbolically - then dawn takes on another layer of meaning.
 
The dawn is a time, of stillness and possibility. 
Just as the robin’s song began as a single, quiet note and then grew stronger – so does the song of Life in the midst of death.  
 
In the Easter story one quiet voice brought the news that death’s powers had not had the final say.
Jesus song of Love would not be silenced by the powers of death
and  oppression.
 
The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus song of love for the world began as the awareness of one person, then a few people,  and grew stronger and stronger.
 
That song of love for the world is alive today.  Listen for its call.
It is calling you and me into acts of care and compassion in this time of fear and loss.
 
It is in these acts of care- acts as simple as a phone call to a friend or family member;  a call to a senior who is  in  lock down in a seniors  care home; messages of support to front line workers;  support where ever people are struggling  ;  or in just simply saying “I love you” to family and friends-   that we continue to share his song of love.
 
As we sing his song this day let us also pay attention to the birds, and to the pulse of life in all living things.
 
Like Peanut and the squirrel- lets play as much as we can.  
 
Hallelujah!