THOUGHTS

April 21, 2020

A rewrite from 2013

"For behold, the winter is past.

The rain is over and gone.

The flowers have already appeared in the land;

The time has arrived for pruning the vines,

And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

...And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance."

Song of Songs 2:11-13

"The air was fragrant with a thousand aromatic herbs,

with fields of lavender, and with the brightest roses 

blushing in tufts all over the meadow."

William C. Bryant

Winter's grip, cold chains, have slipped away.  

Gardens are planted with a hope.  

It is time to pick strawberries and blueberries.  

The pomegranate tree has ruby blossoms.

The pink wild rose bush is heavy with blossoms,

and the iris are waving purple flags.

Perhaps your soul has been chained in a season of winter,

all the while God has began to pump new life through your veins.

Bud, Bloom, Blossom!

Be fragrant!

"There are joys which long to be ours.  

God sends ten thousand truths, 

which come about us like birds seeking inlet, 

but we are shut up to them,

and so they bring us nothing,

but sit and sing awhile upon the roof,

and then fly away."

Henry Ward Beecher

Henry Ward Beecher was the brother of the famous Harriet Beecher Stowe, the one Lincoln called, "the little woman who started a war," because of the book she wrote, "Uncle Tom's Cabin" which illustrated the plight of slavery.  Harriet and Henry were the closest of siblings out of thirteen children born in their austere home.  Their father Lyman Beecher was a Calvinistic Presbyterian preacher who led his family in prayers and hymn morning and night and discouraged "undue frivolity."  That meant Christmas and birthdays went uncelebrated.  Henry recalls that he did not have a single toy throughout his childhood.  He also had a stammer and was considered slow-witted.

Siblings, Henry and Harriet Beecher

Yet, he became an eloquent speaker, preacher, abolitionist, supporter of women's suffrage, temperance, an author, and one of the most well-known leaders of his day.  He raised funds to buy weapons for those willing to oppose slavery in Kansas and Nebraska, and these rifles became known as "Beecher Bibles."  During the Civil War, his church raised and equipped a volunteer infantry regiment, and he pressed Lincoln to emancipate the slaves through a proclamation.  His church held mock auctions at which they raised money to purchase freedom for slaves; the most famous for Pinky for whom they raised $900.  Beecher obtained John Brown's chains and preached standing upon them.

"I would rather speak the truth to ten men than blandishments and lying to a million...try what it is to speak with God behind you, --to speak so as to be only the arrow in the bow which the Almighty draws."  Henry Ward Beecher

One of my very favorite hymns is 

"And Can It Be," by Charles Wesley (1707-1788).

And can it be that I should gain

An in-t'rest in the Saviour's blood!

Died He for me, who caused His pain?

For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love!  How can it be

That Thou my God, shouldst die for me?

Chorus:

Amazing love!  How can it be

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Father's throne above, 

So free, so infinite His grace!  

Emp-tied Himself of all but love,

And bled for Adam's helpless race.

'Tis mercy , immense and free!

For, O my God, it found out me!

Chorus

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,

Fast bound in sin and nature's night.

Thine eyes diffused a quick'ning ray.

I woke; the dungeon flamed with light.

My chains fell off; my heart was free.

I rose, went forth, and followed Thee."