Embracing Transitions

Greetings in the name of Jesus, amen

In the book of Ecclesiastes, we are reminded of the variety of seasons to life: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted” (3:12).

For some among us, we enjoy the summer season so much that we fanaticize of the possibility of it never ending. There is so much to summer that society favors a summer attitude over a productive fall – leading to further frustration by the change or end of this “happy” time.

However, as life unfolds around us, if we hold it in balance, recognizing that summer does give way to fall and that adjustments are always needed. Everyone can lean into embracing the gifts schedules bring into our lives rather than lament the ending of summer.

Ecclesiastes prompts those of us in non-agrarian societies to remember that the natural cycles of our days are necessary for life on the whole. Not every crop grows year-round- the ground needs fallow time. But the good news is that summer isn’t the end of all leisure.

It is my prayer that as you transition this year from summer to autumn, God would grant you the opportunity to acknowledge the beauty of time in itself and the insight to embrace every season under the heaven. Amen

The Rev. Romeo K. Dabee
JFK Airport Community Minister