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Thursday, January 22, 2015

Starz

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It all became too much for me.

The footage of violence on TV.

The images of grief on the faces of those who lost loved ones in yet another plane crash.

The news of a major company laying off more than 200+ employees in Central Illinois.

The generalized portrayal by the media of our Muslim brothers and sisters because of a few extremists who carried out acts of terror in the false name of Islam.

The story about a Transgendered teen committing suicide because of being misunderstood not only by classmates, not only by the teen’s own parents, but also the teen’s faith—Christianity.

The recording of buildings shaking as the ground rumbled and rolled because of an earthquake.

The reports of so many experiencing the coldest week of this young year—making me mindful of the homeless and the pets left outside.

All of this I received while watching 10 minutes of a local news segment last night as I talked to my mom about my ailing grandmother.

The world is hurting.

It feels dark and cold, not only in the frozen tundra of Logan County, but also in places beyond our imagination.
As the first commercial break occurred, I felt like I do when I walk outside on days like today: my breath was taken away. It is an overwhelming feeling.

Sometimes when I was a kid on nights when the world seemed too big and the problems to arduous, I would head outside and stand under the cloudless night sky, gazing upward at the starz and the moon. From their distance light years away, they somehow brought me comfort.

With the ground covered by snow, the moonlight reflected off the frozen particles of precipitation, illuminating acres of frozen trees, that when the wind blew, their icy limbs would shake and wave, creating a perfect rhythm with the tranquility of the night.

This polar but perfect harmony would leave me motionless, staring skyward in astonishment, and without expressing a sound, giving thanks for being a part of something, broken yes, but also magnificent. A bit like Christ’s body.


Being cold isn’t much fun. In fact, if you stand out there long enough, it will begin to hurt. But watching our breath dissipate into the world offers us a reminder,

a reminder that

in this moment in time,

with all that is going on,

as the world longs to be held in God’s arms of grace,

we are reminded that

your breath, that my breath,

that our breath,

matters.

Friends, be not afraid to inhale the wintry weather. For when we do on cold days like today, during painful times like ours, we can show the world our care, our hope, and our love for it, by simply exhaling…

And today, that is more than enough for me.

May your lives be cradled in God’s arms today, your hearts warmed with Christ’s grace, and your beings burning with the life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit.

[Adam Quine, Pastor
First Presbyterian Chuch of Lincoln]

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