Turbulence
Author: The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
August 12, 2020
Marla and I were out in the
boat last weekend and I always enjoy looking back and watching the turbulence
behind the boat. I don’t know what it is that appeals to me about it. Last
weekend as I looked at the prop turbulence, I noticed how the water remains
stirred-up for a few moments after the boat passes, then settles-down again.
I thought about how beneficial it may be for the water to
be stirred-up like that. Maybe it is just my imagination, but I think the
turbulence helps keep the surface cleaner and distributes the warmer water from
the top.
Life is much like
that. None of us enjoy the turbulent times in life. We fret and worry about the
things that stir-up our lives. We want everything to be calm and organized. We
want everything to make sense. We will often take the long way around a
situation rather than face the turbulence of an issue.
While no one enjoys rough water, we know it will come.
One thing certain in life is that life is uncertain. So, what good can come
from turbulence in our society and personal lives? Perhaps we are less creative
when our lives are calm.
History
indicates that most of our advancement is a result of difficulty or turbulence.
For example, gathering loose hay from the field worked fine for several hundred
or thousand years, but bailing machines made the work faster and more
productive.
Perhaps
we need turbulence to knock us off of high-center; we need something to get us
going. We are in the midst of turbulent times. I have heard people talk about
the “fear” they feel every day in this time of pandemic. I see civil
disturbances and riots on the daily news. I hear and read about millions of
potential evictions and foreclosures.
These
are all very disturbing issues, and that’s not mentioning homelessness, hunger,
disease, war, and a multitude of other issues we are facing. These disturbing
times can be a pathway to renewal. This can be a time of growth. How so?
When
I feel overwhelmed I start to look toward the bigger picture; the end result.
This pandemic will end. Civil unrest will settle-down, if we resolve the
critical issues. The end result, if we handle these situations correctly, could
be a stronger, healthier, happier Nation and world.
How
can we handle all of this properly? Here is advice from St. Paul’s letter to
the Galatians: “… you were called to freedom; but be careful, or this freedom
will provide an opening for self-indulgence. Rather, serve one another in works
of love, since the whole of the Law is summarized in a single command: ‘ … love
your neighbor as yourself.’ If you go on snapping at one another and tearing
each other to pieces, be careful, or you may end up destroying the whole
community.” (Galatians 5:13-15, TIB)
Blessings and Peace to You
All,
Fr.
David+
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