This too shall pass...
Things are going badly. A relationship has ended. Your teenage son is being obnoxious. Your finances are in disarray. “This too shall pass…” As a boy, this was a favorite phrase my mom often repeated when it appeared that a dead end had been reached or a problem was insoluble. Can you hear it? With wars and rumors of wars on our horizon, with civil conflict at every turn, with economic struggles a daily experience, I find myself wondering if “This too shall pass…”
Perhaps because I have lived a long life, I find some comfort in its wisdom. Yes, things will get better. This phrase has been passed down for generations to give hope in difficult times. Because my mother often quoted the bible, I thought that was its source. But it is Sufi teaching from the Middle East in the 11th century. It echoes Biblical wisdom from Ecclesiastes 3:2, “For everything there is a season, a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to reap.” Whatever the season of the year or of our lives, there is another season coming.
When we think life can’t get worse, we need to remember that change is coming. Perhaps the only constant thing in life is change. The prophet Isaiah often laments present difficulties and then counsels those who “wait for the Lord will renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) Our attitude shouldn’t be passive waiting, but active reliance on God to vindicate those whose lives manifest justice, righteousness, and holiness. The prophet Micah summarizes beautifully, “do justice, love kindness, walk humbly” (Micah 6:8)
The current situation will pass as we all are actively a part of the solution. Things are changing. This past weekend over 5 million people in 2100 locations across America participated in “No King” demonstrations calling for a return to democratic principles of justice for all people. God is in the midst of this change and we each have a role in that transformation.
These things too shall pass…
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