From time to time, there is a place my family likes to go where we sit, talk, and take in the scenery. Sometimes, we go together and other times one or two of us may go alone.  Whichever the case, and as familiar as the place has become, the experience is seldom the same. Instead, it is common that something new or different happens among the interactions, whether in the surroundings or in the conversation.

The other day, the flow of the water was moving in a different direction than usual. Normally, the water flows toward the land on the other side. On this day, it was flowing toward the side where I was, calling attention to the edge of the water in front of me.

At the edge of the water, lay remnants of leaves fallen from days of old. At the edge of the grass, lay remnants of leaves fallen from days of old. The image was intriguing.

While days of old, are a thing of the past, it is often from days of old, that the water flows and the grass grows. It is often from something known, that something new, different, or previously unknown comes into being. It is rarely, if at all, one or the other (old or new) exclusively, for that which stands the test of time.

Jesus walked on both land and sea. He bridged the old to the new, remaining faithful, or perhaps in modern day terms, remaining loyal to God. True to God to the very end… and from that end, a new beginning arose.

We are called to do the same, and through the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.