Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day

 You are loved!  You are loved!  You are loved!  You are loved!  You are loved!  You are loved! You are loved! You are loved!  You are loved! You are loved! Are you still reading? Is there a point at which this statement becomes too repetitive? Twice? Five times? Ten times?

 You are enough! You are enough!  You are enough!  You are enough!  You are enough!  You are enough! You are enough!  You are enough!  You are enough! You are enough! What about now? Is this message too stale when it’s repeated? How many times should you hear it? Twice? Five times? Ten times?

 In the assurance that you are both loved AND enough, Beloved, be at peace!  Be at peace! Be at peace! Be at peace! Be at peace! Be at peace! Be at peace! Be at peace! Be at peace! Be at peace! Is that too repetitive? Is it tiresome to see that and hear that? Should we cap it? Twice? Five times? Ten times?

 I know the excitement of Christmas has passed, and the New Year isn’t so new anymore. Add in snowy weather, and the stops and starts of pandemic precautions, and it seems like the wintry monotony could last well past when the groundhog sees her shadow.

 Something occurs to me though. Maybe what we prepared for in Advent was not so much God’s arrival, but rather our readiness to both receive and act upon the joy of God’s presence long after the Christmas news cycle.

 It seems to me, Sardis, we have the opportunity to tell our neighbors, every moment, of God’s love, care, and delight for them. We can share and receive each other’s gifts. We can be witnesses of God’s presence in the present.

 Do you think it’s possible to offer words, moments, and actions of assurance to our neighbors with such frequency that they become fatigued by our spirit? They tell us they are overflowing with compassion. They tell us they are confident of their belonging. They tell us their anxieties have disappeared. They tell us God’s assurance of their value is unwavering.

 Well, I don’t know about you, but that’s a Groundhog Day movie I’d pay to see. In the meantime, it’s also the kind of not-so-monotonous work I think we should engage in.