Seventh Sunday of Easter (John 17:6-19)  5/20/2012

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As the days get longer and the sun shines a bit warmer, I become more aware that the time is nearly here for school to take its summer recess. The thoughts of lazy summer days and relaxing trips to the beach instill great joy in the hearts of many students; while for those students who will be graduating, the coming end of the school year begins a time of great transition. The transition of those leaving school marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new chapter in one’s life; a transition to a world only previously imagined but never fully experienced. In fact, on this very day 25 years ago, I tossed my hat high into the air with my classmates as we marked the end of our college days and nervously imagined what was to follow. Transitions are life events that are often full of personal emotions and excitement, but transitions are also events that remind us that we are not alone, we rely on those we love for guidance and support. J. Philip Newell, author and spiritual director, quotes a wonderful story by George MacLeod in his book, Listening for the heartbeat of God. George MacLeod was a Scottish clergyman and founder of the modern day Christian community of Iona. MacLeod tells a story of a great day of transition for his young daughter, her first day of school. He writes, “I was busy. I was writing letters. I was self-important. My little daughter was going to school that morning for the first time. She came into my room, in her first school uniform. I said, ‘Your tie is not quite straight.’ Then I looked at her eyes. She wasn’t crying. She was unutterably disappointed. She hadn’t come for tie inspection. She had come to show she was going to school for the first time. A terrific day, and I had let her down. What is that bit in the Gospel? Whosoever shall offend against one of these little ones…better for a millstone to be tied around his neck and that he be cast into the sea. I ran downstairs. I said all the right things. I crossed the road with her. I went to school with her. I had missed the moment, missed the point. I will always see these eyes. Sometimes when I am very busy. Sometimes when I am writing letters. I am forgiven, but I won’t forget.”[i] MacLeod’s reflection on his daughter’s great day of transition insightfully paints a vivid picture of both the emotional excitement and the fragile nature of transitions, and the human need for the love and support of others as we navigate through these unfamiliar times. Continue reading →