I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore. Psalm 121
There are folks who wrongly think that Halloween or All Hallows' Eve is of satanic origin. In fact, its origins are from the Celtic Samhain and other traditions that celebrate the end of harvest and summer and the beginning of the winter season. Ancient Egyptians and others believed that the barrier between the living and the dead was thin and permeable at this time of year. The Church celebrates All Hallows Day or All Saints, remembering those whom we have lost. In the US, children ring doorbells and get candy while adults dress up and act like children, mostly forgetting the ancient and holy meaning of the season. We are drawing in to the dark time of winter, the days are short and the cold grows deep. It is a time to look back and look forward. And the ancient words of Psalm 121 remind us of God's goodness for us and God's protection in all seasons.
Wondrous Creator, you are present in all seasons
you protect us from the fearful things that surround us
and nestles us, like small children in your loving arms.
We want to demonize those who are different from us
and think that they are the cause of all our fears today
when fear come from within our very hurting souls.
Help us to remember your constant love for us all
may we be fearless in all things and love our neighbors
trusting that you love us and will love us through all seasons. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment