Make lemonade! That is the oft-quoted answer to
this well-known query. It is a useful life perspective, one of
those handy little sayings that can arrest a pity party that needs to stop, like
right now. Useful and also trite; it is kind of simplistic.
Why would we think or talk about lemonade when there are starving
children all over the world, when the Middle East, the place of origin of
belief in one God is now scene of the ugliest warfare imaginable, not unlike
the inhumanity of the holocaust in World War II. In fact, lemons, to my limited
perspective are a considerably useful ingredient in many recipes for delicious
food. Nothing undesirable about lemons, except that they provide a bit of the
rigorous bite – mostly just beyond our sugar preference!
It is the time of year to think about this. The season of Advent,
church year B just begun (November 30, 2023 to November 28, 2024) brings on the
latest version of how to wait, celebrate, or whatever as Christmas day closes
in on us. "All is calm. All is bright" - except that nothing is calm,
and nothing is bright (other than the latest energy efficient colour-changing LED lights on
display everywhere). It is that 'wonderful' time of the year which according to psychologists and sociologists also creates considerable clash for many. I remember with bizarre clarity the pressures I felt
during my years of service as pastor in several churches. Christmas required
especial attentiveness, especially as people would want something interesting and new,
even while longing for re-enactment of something old - sentimental memories back
there somewhere, which is why non-church goers show up in church at least once a year! The
challenge for preachers is to be friendly and welcoming and try to ignore the nagging thought “where were you the other 364 days of
this year?” It is a cyclical reality that persons in leadership need to
deal with.
And then there is a curve ball being thrown at the whole
world this year – actually the last several coronavirus years. A new way of thinking has entered in, stronger opinions and greater
fearfulness. I posit that present fearfulness may be an uneasy hunch that we are dealing
with a little more than lemons, and perhaps some long-held seasonal points of
view may need adjustment.
Lest I now wade into some socio-religio-political (a new word I just created) hot potatoes like Social Activism, Zionism, Progressivism,
Evangelicalism or rightist and leftist politics, this time I wish to stay only
with lemons and lemonade! Making lemonade is something to do. It is a positive
creativity which can be accomplished even by the ones who do not like to think - not much thought required to stir up a pitcher of the good stuff. On
the other hand, you make lemonade only after you have decided to do it, and as
suggested in the pithy query, a lemonade project commences after deciding what
not to do! When making lemonade you are not making home-brew in a backyard distillery. You are not moping in a corner or lying in bed playing video games on your device. No, it is a positive activity. To me this is important, probably because I still hear my dad’s words
(R.I.P. dear dad), “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” This
lemonade thing is useful but probably needs a slightly wider base. Two ingredients needed in order
for the ‘doing’ to be of good purpose.
Firstly, what is it we are keeping busy at? A little self-examination is in order for all, whether we are spiritually or secularly inclined, peaceful or restless in our inner being (an inclination bestowed by DNA, see Psalm 139:13). Self exam is a common theme, obvious almost wherever you read in the Bible: “Examine yourselves ... test yourselves” so we read in 2 Corinthians 13:15. "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification (Romans 14:19). “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). And most interestingly also from one who was known for impulsive actions and quick responses to everything he encountered, even Apostle Peter says, “So then, dear friends … make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace” (2 Peter 3:14). More important than what we do is how we do it. In fact, even our talking, bad behaviour, our swearing and carrying on is addressed in terms of where it comes from, e.g. “the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart" (Matthew 15:18). Recently I heard a sermon [i] from an elder brother in our church telling us of the young virgin Mary’s time of waiting, likely a very personal experience for her. At this point our elderly preacher asked the teenagers to raise their hands 😊 and then implored all of us to think of this personally, i.e. how are we personally waiting for God's guidance in our life? Young, old, or in between, there was extraordinary attentiveness to this sermon!
A "world
contorting itself in endless strife, cynicism and despair,” as I said in my
last blogpost [ii] is because we are loathe
to examine ourselves. Busy-ness is still our go to, something to do while we avoid the personal. Within our busy-ness we intrude on one another, not at all bothering to see where the other is coming
from. Apparently, that is still the main reason for road rage, for young people
of immigrants gathering in gangs, for international resentments in a
repopulating world. We are inconveniencing one another even while we are
lonely. 😏
Secondly, prayer. My heart is compelled to conclude with this. Nothing new here. It is as old as eternity, as old
as anyone just learning to pray, or well experienced, or perhaps recently discovered
how to be in touch with “the Wholly Other, the One Above, the I AM, God, Allah,
Creator.” I have had a recent discovery (reminder?) of prayer. In my lifetime there
have been periods of fervent and grateful prayers, as well as periods of deep
disappointment especially during SAD depression stretches when it seemed as
though prayers could not even get organized in my head, let alone make it
through the ceiling of wherever I was laboring (outdoors always better, yes).
My recent learning here is simply the adequacy and importance of prayer.
Prayer is of course not a litany of pleadings; it begins with prayerfulness, that
self-exam referred to above. Perhaps the best way to illustrate and conclude here is with memory of a hospital visit I made many years ago. I shall never forget. Rev. Yordy was on his death bed, and he was warm and
welcoming as I came beside his bed that day. He was eager to share something with me and his two sons. It was a portion of scripture, the first few verses of Psalm
131.
1 My
heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with
great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have calmed and
quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
The following day he passed away. In his many years of pastoral ministry he never avoided tough issues, he preached faithfully and sometimes prophetically if need be, definitely a man of faith in action. From the vantage of today's world stressors, I smile as I remember the peace filled ending of his days. Seems to me we have here a good perspective from one of the residents in that "cloud of witnesses" up above (Hebrews 12:1). A little self-examination and a little kneeling is good posture, not only for me but good lemonade for all of us.
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[i] Erwin Strempler (2023), "Mary’s Magnificat,” unpublished sermon, Foothills Mennonite Church, Calgary, AB.
[ii] “Redemptive Clowns,” jcfroomthoughts.blogspot.com, Nov. 22, 2023.
