Fr. Steve's Morning Email - 3/9/09

The 'springing forward' of our clocks this weekend reminded me of an enigmatic portion of the Book of Ecclesiastes:

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace."   (3:1-8)

The New Oxford Annotated Bible describes the preceding 8 verses in this way: 'a rhythmic series of antithetical pairs that together (seven sets, each with two pairs of opposites) represents the totality and variety of the times and seasons encountered by human beings.  These events include those that simply happen to people (like being born and dying) and occasions to which they must respond (like planting and plucking up what is planted).

I like that description.  Two things simply happen - birth and death.  Everything in between depends on our response.

--
Fr. Steve Rice
Rector, St Timothy's Episcopal Church
Winston-Salem, NC
www.sttimothys.ws
www.sttims.blogspot.com
336.765.0294