Day 1
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap
But Your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise— let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy— Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead (Isaiah 26:19)
Our conversation turned to peppers. In particular “flavor peppers.” These little Caribbean beauties have no heat, only an incredible flavor that permeates your food, filling up the mouth, the nose, the throat, and sensory areas of the tongue you never knew existed.
She had had a bumper crop, that year, she said. All because of the ashfall from the volcanic eruptions in St. Vincent—homeland to us both. Although my friend lived on the neighboring island of Barbados, ash that had traveled in the atmosphere from 100 miles away had given her plants new levels of health, and strength, and vigorous growth.
I thought of the challenges, the struggles, and the uncertainties the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines faced since the series of eruptions that started on April 9, 2021 and continued over several months. Displacement, Disruption, Devastation.
Farmers lost fields and animals, families lost homes, children lost schooling and stability, society lost norms and routines. On the heels of a still raging pandemic, the eruptions created new levels of pressure and strain that threatened the very seams of the country’s economic, social, and civic well-being.
Yet as I spoke to my friend, I was reminded of the words from Isaiah that Jesus later declared as His mission:
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners… to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve… to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:1-3).
My friend's garden was a literal, amazing testament of beauty for ashes. And with flavor thrown in, to boot!
Two years later, St. Vincent is still rebuilding. And those of us who live elsewhere continue to cheer on our beloved homeland. Work remains to be done. Challenges continue. All human societies wrestle with their share of troubles, hardships, social ills, strife, confusion, and conflict, and St. Vincent is no exception.
Yet, we are reminded that in the midst of literal, waist-deep ashes, we have seen goodness, generosity, resilience, and determination. We have seen beauty and flavor rising out of ashes. Even as far away as Barbados. We have seen reason for hope, reason for gratitude—not one life was lost.
And as the calendar points to two years past the crisis, it also points to Easter with its promise of restoration and renewal, and to a resurrected, risen Savior who promises to restore the places long devastated; to renew the ruined cities (Isaiah 61:4). Physically, and spiritually.
Comentarios