Grace to you and peace ~
It’s kind of humorous…
My computer “auto correct” isn’t sure what to do with the word “semiquincentennial.” It’s good with “centennial” and “bicentennial,” but it’s confused by semiquincentennial, which is kind of a good metaphor, I suppose, for the reality of celebrating 250 years as an independent nation…That is, it can be confusing, to say the least. Two-hundred fifty years seems so very “old,” yet there are certainly other nations whose history is much, much longer than ours (In fact, in the grand scheme of history, we are at about the “terrible twos” stage.). However, there are not (I don’t believe) any that have tried to pull off what we have.
At our best, we are a tapestry (to quote Carole King):
“…of rich and royal hue
An everlasting vision
Of the ever-changing view
A wond’rous woven magic
In bits of blue and gold
A tapestry to feel and see
Impossible to hold”
I wonder if part of our challenge, as a fairly young republic, has to do with the speed of change that has happened over our nation’s lifetime (as opposed to the years preceding that). A quick Wikipedia search of inventions will show that time blocks up to and including the 18th century are listed in hundred-year segments. Beginning with the 19th century and moving forward, inventions are listed by decade, each of which is pages and pages long.
What I mean is that it seems, sometimes, that the speed of change has resulted in an inherent impatience on one hand and a desire for everything to just slow down and go back to the way things “used to be” on the other. The problem with that, is that God never goes backward, but is always creating a “new thing.” And that new thing is always more tapestry-like than is sometimes comfortable or convenient for us. And, while I want God to act right now in a way that makes me comfortable, God is infinitely patient (sometimes, much to my chagrin) and seemingly intent on continuing the “ever-changing view” of God’s “everlasting vision.”
My prayer is that we would (if we can’t slow the world down) slow ourselves down and appreciate the “wond’rous woven magic” that we are as a nation as we continue to grow into our possibility of being a growing tapestry of “rich and royal hue.”
Happy Semiquincentennial!
+ Pr. Sara