“Turn, Turn, Turn”
Prayer: God let this message be your words and not my opinions….. Open our ears to
listen for your word and see your ways. Amen.
One of my favorite songs over the years is a catchy little melody by the 60’s folk rock
group, “the Byrd’s.”
I remember singing the lyrics one day to this song “Turn, Turn, Turn” which one of the
verses goes like this: ….A time to be born, and a time to die….A time to plant, and a time
to reap…A time to kill, a time to heal…A time to laugh, a time to weep….There is
season – turn, turn, turn, And a time for every purpose under heaven….. Aren’t you glad
that I did not sing that verse!
I remember one day my Dad pointing out to me that the lyrics to this song were adopted
from a famous Bible verse! I remember telling my Dad that there was no way that
(writer, Pete Seeger) wrote this classic rock hit using the words of the Bible!…..Dad
picked up his Bible…..turned to Ecclesiastes 3 and showed me sentences that looked
remarkably like the words in this song.
Dad was correct, but it was many years later that I reflected on the words to mean more
than just the catchy lyrics to a great song. These are poetic words that are sometimes
used in weddings and often in funerals. These are the words that convey the seasons of
life! These are the words that provide great comfort to many people in times of triumph
and times of trial.
We in New Jersey have no trouble imagining the seasons of life. We have four very
distinct seasons that closely follow those marked on the calendar.
I like one story I came across on the internet about the four stages of a mans life.
Stage # 1 is when we believe in Santa Claus.
State # 2 is when no longer believe in Santa Claus.
Stage # 3 is when we get to play “Santa Claus”.
And finally Stage # 4 is when we look like Santa Claus.
In many ways, seasons mark distinct points in our life. Spring, summer, fall and winter
in some ways mirror our life cycle.
Spring is symbolic of our youth. We are born, we are nurtured, we are given love and we
are provided examples of how we are to live life as a Christian. Spring for many people
ends at around the age of 20 years old.
 |
 |
 |