Day 29

“Abide in me as I abide in you…“

[John 15:4]

Buttery dollops of soft autumnal light falls through the gaps of the now ‘starting to rust at the edges’ leaves of the plain trees; patches of glow land at our feet as we take-in days of soft light. As the northern hemisphere heads into spring, so we do the opposite; we leave the harshness of summer behind. Easter is full of traditional spring images – eggs, procreative rabbits, fresh flowers. But, while we persist with those old world symbols, celebrating Easter when we do tells of another side of Easter: the journey to get there. As Jesus reminds his followers to ‘abide’ with him, vine leaves to the branches, we see change in the air. Everything is coming up different; we can feel it in our waters even if the way ahead is harder before it is easier. But for us there is hope, like moving from the harshness of an Australian summer, which burns and scorches, to feel the relief and promise of soft rains and gentler days on the scorched earth. Abiding means living within the changing times to see a fruitfulness and love in our midst when many only foresee impending bleakness in the days ahead.