Rev. Michelle's Message March 20, 2025
- M Price
- Mar 20
- 2 min read
Hoorah, today is the first day of spring! This day is marked by the arrival of the spring or vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, an astronomical event that occurs when the sun aligns with the Earth's equator. At the exact moment of the vernal equinox, the Earth’s equator is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, resulting in an equal amount of daylight and darkness across all latitudes. (Incidentally, at the same time in the Southern Hemisphere they are experiencing the autumnal equinox, marking the beginning of fall.)
The official beginning of spring brings longer days and warmer weather, and we will begin to see the changes all around us in nature that signal the rebirth of life that occurs in the spring. I always love to see the new blossoms on the trees, the green grass growing everywhere, and the sudden appearance of baby animals of all sorts–from tiny quail chicks running behind their mother looking like little fluffy balls with legs to the mama deer and her fawns that leap through the trees in our wooded areas.
We’ve noticed that the red-shouldered hawks that nest in the Monterey pines behind our house have been particularly noisy lately, as fledglings learn to fly from branch to branch while their parents call out encouragement: “Aar, aar, aar!”
Spring is my favorite time of year because as an outdoorsy kind of gal I love the longer days, warmer weather, and opportunities to hike and explore, or just sit outside with a good book soaking in the warm rays of the sun. I also love what spring represents–new life, new hope, a new beginning, the eternal victory of life over death. This is what the period of Lent represents as well, as we spend these weeks preparing our minds and hearts for the miraculous re-birth of the Christ in each of us at Easter.
Springtime is a reminder that no matter how dark and cold the winter has been, longer days are coming, warmer days are coming, and hope springs forth in the midst of it all as we celebrate the ever-renewing miracle of life. This time is indeed all about hope and I don’t think we’ve ever needed hope more than we do right now.
If you name it hope instead of impossible.If you hold it with tenderness.If you look around and see the facesOf everyone you loveTrying to save the world with you.Then this work becomes love.And even mountains will move.
–Lessons in Trying To Save the World by Nikita Gill
I wish all of you abundant vernal equinox blessings as we continue to do this work of love together.
Lenten Blessings,
Rev. Michelle
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