Light Returns
By Guy Smith
March and April jolt us from the dark of winter. Carolina jessamine drapes the pines along the highway, yellow bells (Forsythia x intermedia) burst into bloom before their leaves even appear, and daffodils magically pop up in areas you forgot they were planted. I don’t know about you, but despite seeing it happen for over 60 years, I am still awestruck that those shrubs, vines, and bulbs contain everything they need to burst into action at just the right time. I know it is coming, but the new season’s arrival still takes me by surprise.
For farmers and gardeners, spring brings the promise of a coming season full of growth. Lawn fertilizer is distributed, seeds are planted in the ground, and flower beds are prepared for the summer ahead. Planting and preparation in the spring require hope and patience. And for folks like me…good luck.
For students and teachers, the season brings Spring Break. And while the school calendar is generally full to bursting in the weeks following the break, both students and teachers know that the end of another school year is in sight. In the weeks leading up to the end of school, some of the most exciting academic, athletic, and artistic events of the year take place. As a teacher and administrator, students always astounded me with their ability, creativity, and genuine goodness. They also never ceased to bewilder with their penchant for creative mischief. To be fair, teachers and school administrators demonstrated the same two divergent paths every spring. I often thought that it would be wise to simply monitor the situation and declare the end of school when we deemed that the chaos had reached critical mass.
For those of us who are Christians, late March or early April brings Easter, which is curiously calendared as the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. (No wonder we can’t keep the date in our heads.) Whether celebrated with Easter egg hunts, baskets delivered by a bunny, a sunrise service, or joyous Sunday worship, everything points to the promise of resurrection, rebirth, and renewal. Like everything else in the spring, Easter ushers in an awakening from death and despair.
Regardless of one’s faith tradition, or lack of one, the season reminds us that life continually renews. Whether we see it through the lens of nature, scripture, or simply the calendar, hope exists, beauty abounds, and faith in the future breaks through. So, as you travel down the highway, step into your backyard, or enter your house of worship, pause and reflect. If times have been tough, cling to hope and look to the future. If you have been blessed, give thanks and share your bounty with others.
