Death and resurrection: The sacred path by which our Parent bestows mercy upon their creation. One thing is destroyed, and something else rises in its place. The extinction of the dinosaurs. The great flood of Noah. Countless plagues, wars, and natural disasters. A dance of destruction and rebirth, over and over again, never to end.
And it does no good to fear one and love the other; they are a package deal. Everything dies: the birds in the sky and the lilies of the field; prey and predators; you, me, and the works of human hands. It all comes tumbling down eventually, to become foundation or fertilizer for the next thing. We have found the mythical phoenix, and it is us!
So what shall rise from our present plague? The politicians and pundits are quick with a prediction, or at least a fantasy. The truth, however, is that we cannot know from this end of the story. Those twists and turns that lie in store for our children are a mystery. And let us be glad, for mercy is ever so delightful when it takes on a surprising form.
Now, none of this absolves us of our duty to love our neighbors as best we can. Yes, life always finds a way, to emerge and to thrive. But it matters whether that happens with our assistance, or in spite of our opposition. Do you strive for the common good, or just your own? Be honest, for our Parent already knows, and so do your siblings.
At the end of the day, divine will is in the open for all to see, leaving us with a choice: Do we accept it and cooperate with its unfolding? Or do we rage against it, living out a pipe dream of human mastery of the universe? Either way, death will come, and resurrection will follow. May your heart come to recognize the wondrous mercy of both.
April 19, 2020
Originally published on the “To Be Determined” blog.