Four Winds

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven." Mark 14:24-27

Storms come up in life. As we begin hurricane season in earnest here on the East Coast, one has to take all the weather warnings seriously. Where we live we have to know what to do and where to go when the warning go out. What is often harder, is to know what to do when personal storms, health challenges and forces transitions come upon us. We can be prepared for some things, but other things can seem to sideswipe us, turning us around, making us feel dizzy and lost.

Jesus is preparing his disciples for the massive storms to come. And he knows that there is no way to really prepare them for what is ahead. They will have to live through hell, walk a road of agony, and be tested over and over again. He reminds them over and over that God's love will gather them up, protect them, finding them no matter how far flung they become, and bring them through all the storms they face. God's love is in the midst of our worst storms, drawing the forces of the cosmos and all of eternity to our aide.

This day, as we travel home through familiar and new places, I ask for the strength of the four winds and the protection of the angels. Some days of transition and change are ahead and we all need to remember the closeness of God's love and the protection we are promised, not matter what we face.