The Promise of Springtime

Rebirth and Renewal Amid a Global Pandemic

It has been a long time since I have set down to write against the noise. Don’t get me wrong, there have been times where I desired to come back to writing, but the moment passed before anything could come to fruition. Life happens.

Like most of you, however, the last month or so has forced me to sit, to be still, and to think. The trajectory of COVID-19 has forced us all to slow down and collectively attempt to reduce the virus’ impact by flattening the curve. This slow pace has allowed me to really think and contemplate my surroundings and reflect on my life, relationships, and overall mental health.

It is because of this reflection that I came back to blogging. Amid a global pandemic, I have found my voice again, even if only for a moment. While this post includes spiritual reflections based on the Christian tradition, my hope is that in a larger sense, I can contribute some positivity in such an uncertain time. So here goes nothing:

Holy Week & Springtime:

1 Peter 1:13

What is your favorite season?

We all have been asked this question at some point in our lives. It is a traditional “get to know someone” type of question. In the past, I have always answered by saying either spring or fall, but mostly spring.

My reason for designating these two seasons as my favorite has always been a surface level reaction to the nice weather that usually aligns with the transition seasons. I would always tell people that the change that comes with spring, a reprieve from winter, and fall, a reprieve from summer, brought the best weather. It was for me, merely a question about physical comfort during a season – nothing more, nothing less.

During this pandemic, however, I have been able to contemplate on why I have always had such an affection for springtime. Although the sunshine helps, it is more than just the weather (because let’s be honest, I live in Virginia and we have nice spring days for like a week before it is blisteringly hot and humid). Instead, I think it has more to do with “change” and what spring symbolizes.

In springtime, nature itself renews. There is a re-birth of the beauty that had previously disappeared in the winter months. Flowers bloom, trees glisten with a fresh coat of green, the sun shines, and people who suffer from seasonal depression are relieved from that struggle. I know this happens every year, but this year I find myself paying more attention to the promise of spring – its rebirth and renewal.

In my life, I have always tried to look for the bright side of dark situations. The last few months have been difficult for a lot of people around the globe. Pandemic anxiety is a real thing, and no one is immune (no pun intended). Americans are either worried about catching Covid-19, transferring the virus to a high risk loved one, or losing their livelihood due to the shutdown of the economy. Further, the isolation that comes with the stay at home orders exasperate the previously mentioned concerns. We are in new territory with no clear way out. Yet, the flowers are blooming, the trees glistening, and the sun shining. A constant and colorful reminder that this too shall pass.

Significance of Holy Week: Rebirth & Renewal

Rebirth and renewal. These two words kept coming to mind this week as I walked outside embracing the promise of spring. It is no coincidence that this reflection occurred during Holy Week. For those who may be reading this that do not participate in the Christian tradition, Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter. During this week, Christians all over the goal celebrate and lament the path that led Jesus to the cross. The week culminates on Sunday, when Christians remember and celebrate Christ’s resurrection – the core of our faith.

Before that day, however, comes Good Friday. Whereas Easter commemorates Christ’s resurrection, Good Friday commemorates his death. Growing up, I never really paid much attention to Good Friday. Easter was always the big show. But, in college, I had a theology professor who told me that his family used the time between Good Friday and Easter to mourn the way Christ’s followers would have – i.e. without any true expectation of his return.

The first time I tried this, I cut off my phone from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning. I spent that time shut off from the world in deep mourning, trying to fathom what the followers of Jesus were feeling during this period of uncertainty. I remember crying and feeling such a heavy weight as I imagined my own life without knowing Jesus. Then Sunday came. It was amazing. Hands down the best Easter that I have ever experienced in my Christian faith.

It truly felt as if nothing could be better than that moment. It was like I was experiencing a renewal of faith that I had never experienced before. It was the culmination of recognizing that through great suffering, through great pain, Christ gave new life to all mankind.

Now, I have only done this one time. In all honesty, every Easter since then I have just not been able to recreate the experience. Life has just gotten in the way. This Easter, however, this experience is at the fore front of my mind. Mostly because of its analogy to the state of the world right now. In a way, we are all taking a part in a “Good Friday” experience. Death, uncertainty, anxiety, and despair surround us. Our story with the virus is currently being written and we do not have the luxury of knowing the true outcome, regardless of how many graphs and predictions the news throws at us.

Yet, the flowers are blooming, the trees glistening, and the sun shining. We may not know it now, but some day we will be reborn and renewed. Our lamenting, our mourning, our suffering may not find renewal in just three days, but there is hope. The promise of Spring is there, mother nature’s evidence is plain for us to see. Take hold of that promise. Hold on to the hope of better days.

Our Sunday is coming.