I should have posted this a while back, but I didn't. Toward the end of last month, my canvas group went on a "faith venture" in Washington, DC. It was an opportunity to explore a new area, and look for God's fingerprintsin the world around us.
We started our day (after driving from Winchester, VA, and riding the metro into the city), with a trip to the holocaust memorial. In a sense, we were spending that time exploring the depths of darkness that lie in a sin-filled human heart. We know the names of people like Hitler and Eichmann, but it's not like they were able to orchestrate their plans alone. They held the sway of the people, and they were able to implement their ideas with the blessing or the silence of the multitude.
As we walked through the memorial, I couldn't help but think of the many times in history when people fell silent in the face of evil. The Crusades, the Inquisition, slavery, are a few that come to mind. But it also makes me think that there may be evil happening right under our noses that we have fallen silent toward. Of course there are a million causes we can work toward, but I think we need to be very aware when there is evil at work.
After the memorial, we ventured into the city, and eventually made our way to the tide pool, Jefferson memorial, and the cherry blossoms that were a gift from Japan after the Second World War. Those blossoms bloom every spring. Just like blossoms have been blooming and driving my allergies crazy for the last month!
But blossoms are a great reminder. Blossoms remind us that we are people who have hope. Blossoms emerge to remind us that fruit is on its way that will sustain and nourish. Blossoms reflect that there is still beauty emerging when life can seem kind of ugly. Amid all of the death, despair, injustice, and cruelty, God gives us blossoms to remind us that life goes on.
And I think He does it to remind us of our calling. We see the blossoms on the trees, but we can also be the blossoms in the lives of others. We can be the beauty that others see, and get filled with hope.
As you live out your day today, choose to be a blossom in this world that seems so full of decay. And while you are at it, keep your eyes peeled, you may just see some of God's fingerprints in the lives of those around you, and in the circumstances of your own life.
We started our day (after driving from Winchester, VA, and riding the metro into the city), with a trip to the holocaust memorial. In a sense, we were spending that time exploring the depths of darkness that lie in a sin-filled human heart. We know the names of people like Hitler and Eichmann, but it's not like they were able to orchestrate their plans alone. They held the sway of the people, and they were able to implement their ideas with the blessing or the silence of the multitude.
As we walked through the memorial, I couldn't help but think of the many times in history when people fell silent in the face of evil. The Crusades, the Inquisition, slavery, are a few that come to mind. But it also makes me think that there may be evil happening right under our noses that we have fallen silent toward. Of course there are a million causes we can work toward, but I think we need to be very aware when there is evil at work.
After the memorial, we ventured into the city, and eventually made our way to the tide pool, Jefferson memorial, and the cherry blossoms that were a gift from Japan after the Second World War. Those blossoms bloom every spring. Just like blossoms have been blooming and driving my allergies crazy for the last month!
But blossoms are a great reminder. Blossoms remind us that we are people who have hope. Blossoms emerge to remind us that fruit is on its way that will sustain and nourish. Blossoms reflect that there is still beauty emerging when life can seem kind of ugly. Amid all of the death, despair, injustice, and cruelty, God gives us blossoms to remind us that life goes on.
And I think He does it to remind us of our calling. We see the blossoms on the trees, but we can also be the blossoms in the lives of others. We can be the beauty that others see, and get filled with hope.
As you live out your day today, choose to be a blossom in this world that seems so full of decay. And while you are at it, keep your eyes peeled, you may just see some of God's fingerprints in the lives of those around you, and in the circumstances of your own life.
No comments:
Post a Comment