“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.'” Mark 1:14-15
Greetings, Fremont Family:
I find myself this morning with few words, lots of emotion, but few words. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has been sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, and Kamala Harris has become the first African-American, Asian-American, female Vice President in the history of our nation. I feel a flood of relief and the beginning of the promise of a new day, but I also know how deep the human temptation is to quickly forget the ordeal of the last four years and “move on.” Let it be said that there can be no unity, no healing without truth and repair.
Also, I am pondering the beginning of Jesus’ ministry from Mark’s Gospel for this coming Sunday. Jesus’ invitation to discipleship is short and sweet. “The time is fulfilled,” he says, “and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news.” Maybe this simple invitation is all we need to hear today. God is always drawing near to us. We are always being given an opportunity to turn toward God’s ways. The time is always now. Will we accept Jesus’ invitation? Will we believe in this good news?
This morning, I was especially moved by the poem read by Amanda Gorman, America’s youngest Poet Laureate who delivered a powerful spoken word at the inauguration today. She, too, issued us an extraordinary invitation after these four difficult years. She wrote, “when day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light, if only we are brave enough to see it; if only we are brave enough to be it.”
Indeed. May it be so.
Epiphany blessings, Pastor Erin