“‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches.” – John 15:1-5a

Here we are, one year later. We mourn for what we have lost, especially those dear to us who now have received the healing that comes from dying and rising into the fullness of new life. There is much we still miss about what was, but we know that this is the year of jubilee, the time of return and new growth. We mourn, but we also celebrate the hope, love, grace and strength of God which is seeing us through.

“I need you.” To hear those words from the President yesterday was stunning.  This was not an admission of weakness, but an invitation to strength. In this time of crisis, some have acted selfishly, looking out only for themselves. But so many more have acted with regard for others, and aware that we are all in this together. We need each other and we can tend to one another, even at a distance.

This is the core of our faith. Jesus makes it possible for us to be in relationship with the Creator of the Universe; and in that to be in relationship with all of creation. Jesus reminds us that we are part of each other. He points out that even the times of pulling back, of withdrawal, and of cutting things out of our lives are a time when we become stronger and more prepared to bear new fruit.

On this anniversary of the pandemic changing our lives and cutting back our activities, let us mourn and let us celebrate. Let us be ready for what God has in store for us next!

George

Your questions for Sunday (taken from Pastor Adam Hamilton’s study, “24 Hours that Changed the World”:
1. How do YOU explain the connection between Jesus’ suffering and the world’s salvation?
2. Considering the world today, what kind of messiah/leader would you choose? Why?
(Jesus: Love & Service; Barabbas: Violence; Pilate: Political Expedience)