Be a Blessing

Meditation on the lessons for the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26

Photo by Jordan Clark (Unsplash)

They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:5-10)

They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. (Psalm 1)

This week's message is quite clear. As expressed in the first Psalm and by the prophet Jeremiah, God has planted us to thrive and produce fruit for a weary world. Simply put, we are blessed so that we might be a blessing.

Droughts and floods are inevitable -- consider the recent months in North Carolina and Southern California, which are experiencing destructive fires and floods in rapid succession! However, we should not be afraid when the heat (or flood) arrives.

We are called to resemble the trees I recall from my childhood in West Texas and Oklahoma. Not the grand Maples and Firs of New England, which span vast forests and tower into the sky like giants, but the solitary scrub oaks found at the edge of a creek—often the sole living presence besides the tall grasses, a few scrub bushes and perhaps a cow or two.

Much like these solitary trees, frequently twisted and gnarled by the wind and heat, we are urged to cling to life with deep roots, offer shade and sustenance, and add a hint of green to the surrounding browns. Essentially, we are meant to be a blessing during times of drought. We are to love and serve those impacted by the heat — including ourselves! Be a blessing, and thus be blessed!

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Seek not the Parched Places

Bring life to those who are withering

Be steadfast with those driven by the winds of hate or fear

For the anxious, bring peace

When all looks futile, find a way

Do not pity the pitiful, raise them up

Seek not the parched places

But be a blessing

And, thus, be blessed