If you look for them, downers are everywhere. As I write this, we have just passed the halfway point of summer – midway between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Soon it will be back to school sales, the State Fair, and then blizzards. At least it seems that way. What a downer.
Some don’t even wait until mid-July to proclaim impending doom. At the 4th of July celebration I heard someone sigh, “Well, it’s all downhill from here.” And even before that, on June 21, the newscaster couldn’t help but remind us, “Today is the longest day of the year. From now on our days will get shorter and shorter.” People love to focus on depressing news. Why take something as marvelous as the longest day and turn it into a downer?
When I was young my father unexpectedly took my brothers and me out for dinner. This was very unusual because other than A&W after a ballgame my family rarely went out to eat. While we were waiting for the food to come, my father announced, “I have brought you here because today I turned the same age as my father was when he died.” I expected him to go on and say something like, “And so let’s celebrate today! I’m still living, and we are still together!.” But he didn’t. He just sort of dropped the news and left us sitting there in melancholy silence. What a downer.
Downers are everywhere if we look for them. But then so is good news. There are longest days, and 4th of July celebrations, and six more weeks of summer – and this day to live. Marvelous gifts. And as Christians we know that no matter how many days we have left, we have been given the promise of eternal life. That’s really something to celebrate.
It’s not all downhill from here. It’s only going to get better.
Pastor Mark
This is the promise that (the Lord) himself gave us: eternal life! – 1 John 2:25