THE SEASONS WILL CHANGE

John 16:20 Truly, truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

Today, we read about a confused group of people, persons who even after combining efforts of cognition, could make no sense of the words Jesus had spoken to them. And these were those words ‘“In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.” If those riddle-sounding words were intended to bring utter confusion, then it had succeeded.

Nonetheless, even in that state of staring into space, Jesus throws something else into the bag and that is the focus of our reflection today- ‘you will weep while the world rejoices’. We might be disappointed if we expect everyone’s situation to be the same, and even disappointed further if our expectations are for all to be at the same status of equilibrium or offer the same response in a particular situation.

Here is what reality brings: in times when others rejoice, others mourn. While others sleep, some rise and while some are harvesting, others are in their season of planting. Simply put, ‘Life is in seasons’ and this was the highlight of the words spoken to the Apostles today. By concluding with the words ‘you will grieve, but your sorrow will turn into joy, Jesus wanted the disciples to become aware that there are transitions from one season to the next. Just Iike ‘weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5)’

Therefore, don’t run to be in the same season as everybody else because that is not how things are intended to be. We receive a gentle reminder today that ‘There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven—(Ecclesiastes 3:1). In addition, every season has lessons and experience that are needed to transition into the next. Let’s not forget this.

#sly