Dear brothers and sisters in Christ —
On December 4, 1965, The Byrds reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with song “Turn, Turn, Turn.” The lyrics – except for the title, which is repeated throughout the song, and the final two lines – consist of the first eight verses of the third chapter of the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes.
3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
It is the Word of God that stands behind the message of this song, and as I have had in my personal life a plethora of joys and sorrows in the last year, it is the Word of God that stands behind my thoughts.
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- When I am hurt and I want to hurt back, I repeat, “‘Vengeance is mine,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)
- When I am sad and grieving the death of my mother and of Pastor Zimmermann, I hear, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
- When my first grandchild was born, I thought, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13)
- When I baptized my granddaughter, I invoked His name, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
- When my children were married, I said, “the two will become one flesh” (Matthew 19:5)
- When the arduous journey to complete my doctorate came to an end, I knew, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
In joys and sorrows, in weeping and laughing, in living and dying, in every season, let the Word of God inform your thoughts!
Blessings,
Pastor Hartwig