Pastoral Ponderings–Clinging to the Good

Pastoral Ponderings–Clinging to the Good

Darling Wife Karol has been preparing for a hike that I don’t get to go on.  Karol is helping our Army kiddo move across country for the new assignment in California—and they’re doing a stop by the Grand Canyon for a hike to break up the drive—I’m jealous!  So we’ve been taking some hikes to help her get ready, and rediscovered I suppose you might say, the Nelson Ledges trail, only about a half hour from our place.

I’ve always found such rocky wonderlands fascinating in so many ways, not the least of which is how huge trees can seemingly defy gravity, and cling to the walls of such cliffs.  Is there a message in that phenomenon for us?

If huge trees can defy the powerful forces of gravity to cling to rock walls, can’t we perhaps do the same?  Our faith proclaims in so many ways, to cling to the GOOD, live a love that encompasses everyone, including our enemies.  Is our faith as strong as these kind of trees, or will we instead, lose grip on the good, and fall away?  Which is stronger, our faith, or those pernicious forces that would glorify the language of hate, prejudice, fear-mongering, and other nasty things?

Dig our roots deeply into the good, into the grace that God offers, into the love God calls us to, whether in good times or bad, whether we agree or disagree, whether we are welcomed or disparaged, this is the way Jesus showed to “hold fast to the good” (I Thes. 5: 21)!

Keep on keepin’ on in our Jesus walk—Rev. Jim

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