Dear WUUC Community,
The signs of spring are beginning to peek gently from their winter hiding places. The sun is becoming a frequent visitor; the days are getting longer. The flowers are starting to bloom: cherry blossoms, daffodils, and tulips are gracing us with their presence, bringing bright, vibrant colors to a backdrop of evergreen and lake-blue. I’ve never lived in a place so beautiful.
And all of this beauty reminds me of something beautiful about the seasons: they are a cycle of death and resurrection. The cold winter, a time of hibernation, of hiding, of going within, and, yes, of death, is necessary, but always temporary. In time, winter turns to spring, a renewal of life. Consider these beautiful words by Rev. Mark Belletini, which are the lyrics to hymn #73 in Singing the Living Tradition:
Winter rains have turned the starwheel, springtime is upon us.
Sharp the smell of loam, bursting in our eyes the turrets of the tulip.
Winter rains have turned the starwheel, springtime is upon us.
Greening is the grass; soft upon our brows the sunlight warm caresses.
Winter rains have turned the starwheel, springtime is upon us.
The winter rains always bring us spring. Life always returns.
Ours is an optimistic faith tradition. Unitarian Universalism exists in a world that we know can be a deeply painful and difficult place. And we also know that the better world we dream about, and are working to bring about, is possible. Our work is not in vain. We know that suffering, like the winter, is temporary. We know that joy, peace, justice, and love will always follow injustice, grief, and despair.
After the pain of loss and death, comes resurrection and new life. And so, when we look to the spring, to all the beauty and new life that is rising all around us, let it bring us hope. For this is the promise of spring; it justifies our optimism. It is a reason to be hopeful.
Happy spring, everyone. May we be renewed by the beauty and promise of the season.
Peace and Blessings,
Dan