The Whisper of His Call

​Eastertide, the time between Easter and Pentecost, has a different tempo than the days following Christmas. Following the joyous celebrations and busy tradition-full events of Advent and Christmas, I often experience a type of anticlimactic melancholy. The holiday is over. So... pick up the wrapping paper, de-decorate, box up the garlands, and finally, toss out all cookies that might be still lurking about. 
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Yvette Wyatt

​Easter doesn’t seem to dissolve like that. Perhaps, because the renewal and hope of Spring is fast on the heels of Easter, bringing the annual resurrection of nature offering an echo to the resurrection of Christ. Yet especially this year, Eastertide seems even more precious and vital than in years past.

This year, with much of the framework of our external world in such deep dysfunction, I was compelled — by the need for courageous truth and compassionate love — to take the opportunities of Lent seriously. I wanted to be an active participant in revealing the reality of the hope-filled victory of Easter. How might Christ call me to be an instrument of peace, a tool in healing, or a witness to Love in this time of division?

Interestingly, when problems seem overwhelming, it becomes easy to imagine that solutions would need to match the immensity. Doubting we are equipped for a situation; we feel God would probably need to provide an ‘Emmaus Road’ miracle. We forget we had faith in the story of David’s victory over Goliath. The light coming from the tomb is dimmed by shadows of despair. Such was the current of hopelessness I realized I was swirling in as we entered Lent. Yet, oddly — or maybe not so oddly, it seemed to be perfect timing. For if I was to extract myself from this whirlpool of dismay in order to see God’s equipping for courageous truth and compassionate Love, I would need to stand up, look for and step into the practices of Lent.
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When I googled ‘Lent’ I found:

During Lent, Christians engage in reflection, repentance, fasting, and spiritual preparation for Good Friday (the death of Jesus) and Easter (the resurrection of Jesus). 
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Fortunate for me, as a part of the body of First Presbyterian Church CDA, I am surrounded by an ocean of Easter people and the opportunities for ‘reflection, repentance, fasting and spiritual preparation’ are plentiful.

Let me start with the idea of ‘fasting’. The traditional idea of giving up sweets or other preferred foods is NOT the definition I would promote. Anyone who attends the Contemplative Service has witnessed my quick exit from the sanctuary to Krueger Hall in order to scope out an old-fashioned donut and will confirm that ‘abstaining from treats’ is NOT my working definition of fasting.
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Rather, to consider spiritually active fasting, I’m pleased to share the piece below by Pope Francis (Lent 2017). This was gifted by Donna Brundage at the start of this Lent:

 
DO YOU WANT TO FAST THIS LENT?

• Fast from hurting words and say kind words.
• Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
• Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
• Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
• Fast from worries and have trust in God.
• Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.
• Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
• Fast from bitterness and fill your hearts with joy.
• Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.
• Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
• Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.

With my intention to seek courage and compassion, reviewing this list daily and selecting one fast as that day’s breath prayer was both an inspiring and tangible start in the morning. So again, I send gratitude to Donna.
Next, repentance, reflection and repentance through reflection. ‘Repentance’ seems such an old-fashioned word and even an antiquated idea to my 21st-century American mindset. I mean, have I really been so sinful that I need to stop, turn around, and seek forgiveness by practicing repentance? Hmm… well, it turns out the answer is: YES. But this conclusion wasn’t realized by going head first, rather, it had to be approached through the heart. A heart softened and prepared through reflection on God’s word and how that understanding affected the lens of real relationships and experiences. Which brings me to my gratitude for the wonderful teaching and speaking truth to power by our pastor, McLane Stone.

The Lent sermon series on the Prodigal Son was personally heart-opening and powerfully hope-filled. By recognizing my reflection in the prodigal daughter, the prodigal sister (most especially) and the prodigal mother, I could find the courage and (self) compassion to consider my own need for and deserving of the liberation of repentance. Once free of my fear of inadequacy to hear how Jesus might call me to do my part for truth and compassion, I was amazed and humbled by the whisper of His call. Instead of a grand, humongous, Nobel Peace Prize-worthy task, my sweet Jesus simply repeated that I should “love my neighbor”. And that right now, my neighbor means my own sisters. And then, it all became so very clear. Once I could love my sisters well, then I would be ready to practice loving strangers well. That’s my small part in putting a drop into the bucket to move the level of courageous truth and compassionate love.

May this Eastertide continue to hum the message of resurrection and redemption in your ears.

Peace, Yvette