It Happens Slowly

Dear St. John’s,

I have been more acutely aware of the changing seasons this year—not only in the natural world, but also in my life. I imagine it’s a combination of aging parents, a nephew (whose diapers I changed) is turning thirty next month, and my own body, complete with the unprovoked aches of aging. All of these serve as reminders of my own mortality and the slow shift of time—a shift that ironically reveals itself in sudden epiphanies that can leave us asking, “Where did all the time go?”

As Gretchen Rubin wrote, “The days are long, but the years are short."

I believe life not only mirrors the seasons, but also the climate crisis we face. Our current predicament did not happen overnight; rather, decades of ignorance, greed, denial, politics, and special interest groups led us to global heating. Likewise, whatever strained relationships we have, personal struggles we wrestle with, or character flaws we exhibit took a lifetime to reach their present state.

Perhaps that’s why, in this week’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells Peter to forgive “seventy-seven times.” Jesus recognizes that the inexhaustible grace we extend to others is the very same grace we require ourselves.

This “Season of Creation” reminds us that transformation rarely happens in an instant. Just as environmental restoration requires daily commitment, tending to our souls and our relationships demands patient, persistent effort. As the leaves begin to fall and the season turns, may we offer ourselves and one another the time, space, and boundlessness of God’s grace to heal, grow, and begin anew.

In Christ,

Anthony+