Groundhog Day

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Today is Groundhog Day.  I don't think I can ever disassociate Groundhog Day from the Bill Murray comedy of the same name.  A cynical weatherman reporting at the home of Puxatony Phil finds himself trapped in a Twilight Zone cycle of waking up every day to the same day.  The same events happen, the same words are spoken, and the only one who knows the day is repeated over and over is Bill Murray's character.  The only way the cycle could be broken is if his love interest fell in love with him.  Who knows, maybe Groundhog Day is a modern take on Beauty and the Beast.

It's been a while since I've watched the movie.  I wonder if I watch it now I will see a social commentary that unless we find true love, all of life is just a mindless repeat of days and nights.  I actually think there is something to that.  In reading St Paul's very familiar chapter on love in 1 Corinthians 13, I think he alludes to the mindless repetition of life without love.

"If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."

Granted, we hear this most often at weddings, and I think it does speak of love between people, but it most certainly speaks of the love of God.  Bill Murray knew that life was more than just a mindless repeat of the previous day, but it couldn't figure out how to break the cycle.  Doesn't that sound familiar to so many?

The answer was love.

Show love to someone today.  Tell someone you love them.  Break the cycle.

Eternal Father, you have to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of your salvation: Plan in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen.  Collect for the Holy Name.

PS:  This Wednesday we will take a look at current events and hold them in tension with our faith.  If you have second, go on over to this page and vote on which topic you'd like to cover this week.