Thursday, June 25, 2020
The Rev. Charlie Nichols
Turn
There’s a word that appears frequently in the New Testament, metanoia, which is often translated as “repentance,” but a fuller meaning implies a decision to turn around, to face a new direction.
TURN
On Monday morning my phone rang and the caller id displayed “Rob Stevens.” To quote C.S. Lewis, I was literally “surprised by joy!” We spoke about the daily reflections, which I’ve followed, and Rob asked if I’d contribute a reflection. How could I say no?
Turn. My immediate response was a flashback to the Pete Seeger song of the late 1950’s, "Turn! Turn! Turn!" I recall owning the album of the same name by The Byrds with its lyrics drawn from the first eight verses of the third chapter of Ecclesiastes.
These verses read:
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
Given the painful events of the past month, I’m asking myself and asking my readers:
What season are we in?
What time is it now?
What in our shared lives needs to die?
What in our history have we planted that must now be plucked up?
Is not the time for keeping silence over and now this is the time to speak?
There’s a word that appears frequently in the New Testament, metanoia, which is often translated as “repentance,” but a fuller meaning implies a decision to turn around, to face a new direction.
If we gathered to stand in a circle and there was a light in the center of the circle, but we kept our backs to the light, we wouldn’t be able to see each other, all we would see is our shadow. Now, if we turn to face the light, our shadow is behind us and the light will shine on us and illuminate everyone around us. This is the power of metanoia, the power of turning around and facing a new direction.
And now, the cries from the streets are saying this is the time we must turn. We must face a new direction.
God help us if we don’t.