|
A Few Words From Pastor Bryan
Have A Wonderfully Blue February!
It's hard to believe it's February already. Spring is inching closer, and while I don't mind winter, I always look forward to Spring. Having lived for 10 years way up in northern Wisconsin, however, I learned to not allow myself to ever get too teased with hopes of Spring in the month of February. There's still lots of winter left, and that's what makes February uniquely difficult for many of us. It's been winter for a while now, and there's still lots to come.
To state the obvious, winters can be long and gray in Wisconsin. My heart goes out to those who struggle with seasonal affective disorder and/or depression. And then there's just the effects of dealing with intensely cold weather and feeling a bit cooped up. Good old cabin fever. It's a real thing. Good for you if you're able to get some place warm for a bit around this time of year! I have often joked that for some strange reason God always seems to call me to serve the poor by traveling to Haiti most intensely in the month of February... :)
As I was thinking about all of this, it occurred to me that the simple truth is that February is kind of a "blue month" for a lot of people. And that made me wonder why the color blue somehow became associated with sadness or melancholy. After all, there are so many shades of blue. Sure, there's the blue that is associated with being down. But that same "blue mood" and experiences of loss or suffering are also what gave birth to blues music--one of my favorite musical styles--and a wonderful artform to give thanks for particularly during February--which is Black History month. There's something real and gritty about the blues--this music that traces its origins back to what the souls of black slaves somehow managed to squeeze out of their suffering. It was one of their ways of refusing to let the pain and injustice have the final word in their lives. It was an artistic way of saying, "it may be February, but Spring WILL come, and we will keep singing no matter how cold or gray this world gets." There's a defiant joy in blues music that somehow brings Good Friday and Easter Sunday together in one Song. It's human brilliance, resilience, tenacity, soul force, Love, and Grace all woven together.
And the color blue isn't just about the downside or the hard side of life either. There's the blue that breaks through a cloudy day, even in the Februaries of life. There's the baby blue that we associate with the birth of a newborn boy. There's the Allman Brothers song "Blue Sky." There's the blue moon, which is actually an additional full moon. There's ocean blue, Carolina blue, and the Indigo Blue that wisdom traditions associate with the "third eye" chakra of the soul's deepest wisdom, mystical awareness, and spiritual vision. There are so many different shades of blue.
And this all reminds me that Ash Wednesday will take place in the middle of February. February 22nd this month. And that will begin our Lenten journey this year during which we'll explore the meaning of Jesus facing the cross, Mary anointing Jesus, all the events of Holy week, and then the Power of Resurrection Love on Easter morning.
So if you're feeling a bit blue as February rolls in upon us this year, pause a moment and remember that blue has many shades. Remember that some of the best art is created when a soul in pain refuses to stop singing. Remember that ALL colors, including every shade of blue, have their place on the palette of the soul. And remember that God is with us in and through every season, every shade of every color, and every day of every month of every year. It all has its beautiful place. It all belongs.
Bring it February...
Hope to see you Sunday,
Pastor Bryan
| 
