In Romans 12:2 Paul shares this insight “ Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” In the blog series that we just finished - Easter 2.0 we wanted to look at ways to accomplish what Paul has talked about in this verse in Romans. We wanted to take the 50 days after Easter - the Easter Season, and dig deeper into the meaning of death and resurrection as it relates to our lives and the world around us.
And, what a season it has been! One that I can honestly say none of us has experienced before, and not one we could have predicted. I have read and heard different views on this time, some have said that this is a time of trials and testing, some have said that this is a time of personal growth and transformation some have said that this is the end of time. I feel that this is a time of awakening, a time for each of us to personally look inside ourselves, and the world around us, and decide what the will of God is for us - in this world that has been given us. A time to decide how we can personally follow our faith in actions and deeds, within ourselves and in the greater community. A time for us to feel and work through the not good to find and experience the good. Not an easy task!
In this Easter Season 2020, the 50 days after Easter, we have lived through a virus affecting millions of people, and it continues to spread. We have survived Stay at Home orders and are still trying to navigate social distancing. Every day, we have to decide to make an extra effort to find what is true in the news, shared information, and even the words and actions of our leaders, each time any information is presented to us. We have had to face the horrors (definition of horror-an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust) of social and racial injustice. To make it more complicated all of these issues lead to a rise in fear, anxiety, depression, unemployment, suicide, financial instability and more.
In this Easter Season 2020 Henrieta and I have blogged about, resilience, opportunities, the collected wisdom of suffering, stress, and dealing with life’s ebbs and flows. Our goal with these and all our blogs is, to use Paul’s words, “be transformed by the renewing of your minds, “ because it is with that we can work through our feelings and move towards ” discerning what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
In this Easter Season 2020 there has been a lot of good, acceptable and perfect, in the actions people have taken and in the faith that people have shown. We can find this in the millions of people who are confronting the virus to help those with the virus, those whose jobs are consider essential and show up to work each day. We see leaders who have taken a stand to protect and support their communities. In dozens of American cities officers are kneeling, and protesters embrace them during rallies against bad policing, and we see hope in people of all races helping to clean up areas that have experienced the violence of the riots. We are, or know people, who, stand together and use their voice in peaceful and poignant protest of social and racial injustice. We have seen reporters who have faced danger and prosecution to make sure that truth finds light. We all have personal stories, of ourselves, or those we know, who are sharing their time, talents, and financial support to make a positive impact in their communities near and far.
I pray that in this Easter Season 2020 you have in some way followed the words of Paul above. I pray that you have been able to discern the will of God in your life and that you have experienced that which is good and acceptable and perfect. I pray that in the face of adversity you have been able to find support for yourselves and be a support for others. I pray that you have not be conformed to this world, but have been transformed by the renewing of your mind to be a positive influence in this world.
Peace