Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  (Hebrews 12:1-3). 

And the One seated on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.” And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life”  (Revelation 21, 5, 6)

“Beware the Ides of March.” (William Shakespeare). 

Today, as I begin writing my blog, is March 15.  According to my Twitter feed this morning, its also the Ides of March; the day that warns us of betrayal or misfortune. 

I’m really feeling the Ides of March this week.  Although its sunny today, we’ve had a whole lot of weather to deal with in Eastern Ontario.  At the same time it’s ‘March Break’ for our elementary and high school aged kids so my social media is plugged up with a whole bunch of pictures of my friends who are vacationing in places that rarely see snow, are drinking exotic drinks and eating decadent food.  As I sit here, in my home office, wearing wools socks and with a blanket around my shoulders I’m finding myself delving a little bit into self-pity and jealousy. 

Yes, I would like a vacation in warmer, exotic, climates. 

At least, part of me does. 

I don’t want to: endure lineups at the airport or at border crossings, get on an airplane, engage in potentially harmful tourist-type entitlement vacationing, sleep in an unfamiliar bed, or, really go into debt to indulge my need for decadence and ‘experience’.    What I would like is just a little bit of time that is a changeup from the never-ending winter, a little satisfaction of my curiosity and my need to see and experience new things, and a little break from –

Well – a break from March in all of March’s glory. 

Because, sometimes, really, the ‘running with perseverance’ part of our lives is more like a slogging through the day with just putting one foot in front of the other. 

If I look realistically at my life;  if I am absolutely honest about what my life is all about, I’ve got it really good.  Seriously.  Every day I get to do church.  Everyday I get to frame my life in a way that’s meaningful and fulfilling.  My ‘profession’ is glorious.  My home is comfortable, safe and is a place where I can know that I can ‘destress’, can renew, and can, in general relax.  I have what I need.  I have a lot of what I want.  This is not a life that I need to escape from in order to feel safe, in order to feel fulfilled, even in order to have ‘experiences’ and ‘opportunities’. 

I think that maybe my weariness for the Ides of March is because I’m looking to the wrong things for a feeling of fulfillment.  I’m looking to the things that we have been ‘sold’ by, well, mostly advertising, are things that we will find fulfilling.  Things like; ‘fine’ food and drink, exotic destinations where there’s no expectation that you actually integrate into the community and are responsible to the community, fancy clothes and baubles that you pick up thinking they’re important to trigger memories of places where you feel fulfilled, and moments that a capturable for Social Media and lived through an Instagram feed. 

Now, please don’t get me wrong.  I’m not against experience, or good and pretty things and good and pretty places.  What I am predicting as misfortune on this Ides of March, is using those things because you need to somehow ‘escape’ your life in order to be fulfilled. 

Because, I know that you all know that it doesn’t work.  And at the end of the week, when you come home, and go back to March in the gloriousness of its Marchness, well, you have the same life to run (or slog) “with endurance” .  So I think instead, that we need to look at things differently.

To look at our ‘great cloud of witnesses’ that have told us about how our lives can be lives of abundance.

Even if we don’t have it all.  Even if the calendar says ‘March’.  Even if we have a past that was hard and unfulfilling.  Even if the furthest our Air Miles can get us to is Balderson.  We have plenty of people who have lived their lives before us who had much much less, but still functioned out of purpose and meaning. 

And.

To look at Jesus –  the One who plowed this way of abundance for us, in fact who created us to live lives that are meaningful and eternal. 

And who can, even on the Ides of March, bring a sense of newness and life to us. 

So, my Bethel friends, join me this week in looking in a different direction.  Because seriously, I think that’s where our life actually lies.

Blessings today and remember you are loved,

~Rev. Lynne