Fall, or The Fall?

- BY REV. CARLTON K. LARSEN STRASBOURG, SK

I hate to see them dropping and branches getting bare. I am a spring and summer person. Fall, to me, points to the bleak dead of winter. Fall, to me, is sad.

Wait! Some readers are already on to the next article. But if you are still reading, be patient. It won’t stay dark! In fact, I know there are lots of folks who absolutely love fall. They adore the smell of the leaves, and they long for the first frost when the mosquitos all vanish. There is beauty and joy in warm late fall days. I see them as a reprieve from the inevitability of winter. But I know people who are excited for winter to come.

Skiing, hockey, curling, I know. Some folks consider winter the peak of their year. That’s not me. But I see the glow in their eyes when the snow falls, and the ponds freeze. I am not an ice fisherman. I am not a snowmobiler. I’d rather get my ice from the freezer and stay off the lake until it melts. I love spring.

So where are you? Is the Fall a sign of “The Fall,” or is Fall the best of all? I see seasons as part of the gift of change. The seasons are promised to us in perpetuity. The great wheel of the seasons will continue to turn as long as the planet persists. And that too will change. Eventually, the sun will blow up and eat this planet, then shrink to a slowly cooling cinder. Change. Nothing is permanent but change. Deal with it.

Is this a reason for despair? I don’t think so. Change and transformation need not be a threat or something that crushes. A spiritual perspective is one that accepts something larger than our little weak and vulnerable reality. We flash like fireflies in a dark and vast space but this is a gift. Our life is brief and beautiful. We are amazing and glorious in our bright flash here. Sparkle and glow as bright as you can! Find your path and trust that your God is leading and opening the way. The firefly is no less beautiful for the shortness of its life.

We know from the story of The Christ that God prefers to work with death and resurrection. We tend to mourn the death all around us, but what if we can shift? What if we can see death as the pathway to a new and different life? What if we accept death as the gateway to resurrection? That is how I have made peace with fall. It is a sign that new life is coming in the spring. Fall is a renewal, not a mark of “The Fall.”

Shine. Burn brightly. Live the glory that you are.

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Disclaimer: opinions expressed are those of the writer.