Many of the people I interact with on a daily basis are retired. Many of our church members are retired. And yet I am told many times, I am so busy. I have so much going on this week. And the week after. And the week after that. People are going away and need to prepare. People are involved with meaningful groups and activities that require time and attention. People are aware of the needs of others and that can take time. People have family and work obligations. Some are caregivers. Life gets crowded.
I asked someone at church for some help with something that needed to get done in the next week or so. The person began by saying no to helping. But then said, A week? I can do it in a week.
Rush, Rush. Rush. Always busy, busy busy. The pace of life is certainly accelerating. And I know, in my case, I am my own worst enemy in creating a crowded life that involves rushing to get things done.
On the International Space Station in the book Orbital by Samantha Harvey, we are told that “The days rush.” It is hard to imagine how the days can rush in such a limited and limiting situation. How much can there be to get done? You don’t have to go to the grocery store, pick up the kids from school, mail the package with your sister’s birthday present, participate in a demonstration, get the oil changed in your car. How can the days rush by?
It turns out, the feeling is that the time seems so short, not to get things done, but to experience, appreciate, and glory in the presence of the Earth from space. Harvey tells us: “The earth is the face of an exulted lover; they watch it sleep and wake and become lost in its habits. The earth is a mother waiting for her children to return, full of stories and rapture and longing. Their bones a little less dense, their limbs a little thinner. Eyes filled with sights that are difficult to tell.” (p. 4.)
This is an entirely different version of ‘rush.’ The time to appreciate the gift of life and our planet home seems short. The time to absorb and reflect goes by quickly. I think Lent is about this kind of rushing. Filling our days with awareness of what is amazing and incredible around us. Making time to appreciate how gifted we are with each and every breath. Getting caught up not in busy-ness but in blessedness.
Prayer: May we fill our Lenten days with praise for the miracle of life that has been given to us. May we see the people and the world around us with new eyes – eyes filled with wonder and awe. Amen.
Devotion prepared by Rev. Kim P. Wells, pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL
The devotions this Lenten season will be based on the novel Orbital by Samantha Harvey. Orbital won the Booker Prize in 2024. It is a beautifully written story about the experience of a group of people on the International Space Station. They see 16 sunrises and sunsets in a 24 hour period. The book is a reflection on the experience of living together and appreciating planet Earth in a new way.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 