Pastor Don's Ponderings

It appeared this morning on today's edition of Sunday Morning on the local CBS network, a segment about the banning of books in our school systems and, by extension, in our local libraries. Much of the segment gave credit for the bans to an organization ironically named, 'Moms for Liberty'. Liberty must certainly have a different meaning today from when I grew up, but I digress. As I viewed the segment and the related story concerning the backlash from others across the country committed to making books, all kinds of books, available to anyone who wants to read them, it occurred to me that if we do not take this kind of oppressive authoritarian behavior seriously now and try to stop it, the next thing you know they will be trying to ban lascivious flowers and their colors, wherever they may be found - because, you know, flowers include the colors of the rainbow - and so much more. Having just received some absolutely stunning pictures of Spring flowers at Diamond Valley La...

I saw my first blooming daffodils today along the road as I drove to work and immediately I began to smile. There is something about that first rush of color, that first yellow in the midst of browns and greens, that hope in the damp despair of a fading Winter scene, that optimism in the face of mounting incredulity . . . which captures my soul and warms my trembling heart.  Whatever one is thinking at the moment disappears, wherever one is looking in that instant before is lost in this 'Aha!' of wonderment, whatever one is perceiving in that millisecond of recognition is shattered by the open bloom of this strong and tender flower. Spring is asserting herself, Winter is moving away, bees are beginning to buzz and hibernation is coming to a close. The Kingdom emerges from the watery ground, Lazarus walks out of the tomb, Jairus' daughter rises from her death bed and Peter's mother-in-law stands up to serve them all, with a brilliant yellow daffodil leading the wa...