A New Season Brings Renewal BY THE REV. ALEX STROUD
Before March 2020, we all had habits and ways of living, which were disrupted in what seemed like an instant. Over the course of the pandemic, many of us learned new hobbies and adapted to new ways of learning and working. In the past few months, prepandemic normalcy has gradually returned to our lives, and many of us have started doing new things again. The pandemic has, in many ways, been a reset. So, what will we make of it? In Isaiah, we read God’s words to the people of Israel: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” — Isaiah 43:19 (NIV ) Life was not easy in Israel. God was there all along, though, setting the stage for a season of renewal and rebirth. Now, I believe God is at it again. On the other side of hardship, new life is springing up. As we find ourselves getting back into the rhythms of life, what will be different? What should be different?
I don’t believe that God caused people to fall ill or that this virus is some sort of divine punishment that we’ve had to endure, but I do believe that what awaits us on the other side is a better life than the one we knew. The old, bad habits we were shackled to before don’t have to be taken up again. Our former ways can be renewed as a new season begins. Talk to a neighbor you only waved to before. Share a meal with someone you didn’t have time for before. Rebuild relationships with the people in our community and with God, too. It’s time to chart a new course. Seize opportunities, and you’ll not only discover a better life for yourself, but in doing so, you’ll also bless the people around you.
The Rev. Alex Stroud has been the senior pastor of Kennesaw United Methodist Church since 2019. He lives in north Cobb with his wife, three kids and dog.
AROUND KENNESAW | September 2021
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