Daly Office Reflection: Into the Whirlwind of Change

Psalm 72 * 119:73-96; Judges 3:12-30; Acts 1:1-14; Matthew 27:45-54

Our readings today feel like they are all over the place. We are at the beginning of the downward spiral that the Book of Judges takes us on. We are at the very beginning of the Book of Acts, with Jesus telling the Apostles to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon them, and Jesus ascends. And in Matthew, we are close to the end of the Gospel, with Jesus dead on the cross, and the temple curtain ripping and earthquakes happening......Geez, all over the place. And to add to the confusion, in Holy Women and Holy Men we celebrate and remember Bach, Handel and Purcell.

I think we struggle to put order to chaos, to bring some structure to times of insecurity and uncertainty. These readings in today's Daily Office certainly are emblematic of that effort. There are times in life when all we can do is something little, do something that seems innocuous at the time, but do it well. Being able to find a place of centering in that whirlwind can be challenging, but it is not impossible. That centering moment might be only that, a moment, but we shouldn't discount the importance and the wondrousness of that moment. For God is in those moments, as well as in the crappy ones. It is just harder to recognize that fact at times.

Jesus stood in the middle of a whirlwind and was able to stay focused. A good model to strive for, even if we can only manage that calmness in the face of the whirlwind for a moment.

jfd+

Copyright 2010, The Rev. John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.