Pastor's Note

CRICKETS, KATYDIDS, AND CICADAS
August 27th, 2006

I love August nights, especially sitting outside on the porch or deck listening to the crickets, katydids, cicadas, and other sounds of the night. Often I don’t want to go inside, knowing that in just a few short weeks all these sounds will be gone for another year.
As a non-entomologist, I’m not really sure why these insects make so much noise. For me, however, they are communicating that they love life. Their message is that life passes quickly, so you need to celebrate it.
For us humans, life lasts longer than it does for insects. Nonetheless, we don’t want to let life pass by. It is not a spectator sport, but for participation. And the best moments of life are those when we reach out to others, involve ourselves, share our time, and even get quiet and ponder the deeper meaning of our existence.
I am not saying that you have to be “on the go” all the time to make life worthwhile. But you do have to know that each moment is a gift from God, a gift that will not come again.
Living life fully also leads to a fuller life with God. As we become truly human and aware, our inner spirit calls for more connection with the Lord, a unity that goes beyond time. As the poet wrote, “for those who love, time ceases and becomes eternity.”
We have much more to celebrate than any cricket will ever have. This day, this moment, is the time that God has placed before us.