Stillness

Lent, Week 1

Welcome. The season of Lent has begun, right here in the dead of winter. The word Lent, however, means spring. It is derived from the ancient Old English word Lencten, and refers to the lengthening days of that season. So Lent holds within it a promise of new life, even when so much appears to be dead. It traverses death into life, darkness into light. It is a season of hope and longing, of faith and love, and over the next six weeks Walking on God will explore the ways this living Earth teaches us its own lessons about hope, faith, longing, and love, too.

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We begin in stillness. Here in the northeastern US where I live, the dormant, leafless trees show no signs of life. All winter long, their cells, plumped with the super-sweetened water that acts as antifreeze, have withstood frigid temperatures. Deep underground, their roots may take in small amounts of water and nutrients, preparing them for growth weeks from now. But for now, these beloved giants are still, their buds tiny, the promise within them unseen. It is the slow season, the season of rest.

At my favorite nature center, I look at the frozen pond and imagine the world beneath it. I imagine the hibernating turtles, completely buried in mud, their metabolism slowed to an almost death-like state. Their cousins, the aquatic frogs, are hibernating just above the turtles, on top of the mud. Nearby on land, American Toads have dug themselves deep into the sand, below the frost that would kill them. Most amazing of all are the tiny Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers. Weak diggers, they squeeze themselves into small crevices and cracks, hoping to avoid freezing. But many times the frigid air wraps them in its icy grip. And then, these little frogs freeze solid. When this happens the frogs stop breathing. Their hearts stop beating. They appear to be dead. But somewhat like the frozen tree, the frogs’ vital organs have become saturated with glucose, and suffer no damage from the bitter cold. When spring warms the frogs, their frozen bodies will thaw, their hearts will begin to beat again, and life will resume!

But for now, the trees, the frogs and toads, and so many other plants and animals, are still. It is not called “the dead of winter” for nothing.

Meditation: In this slow time, as light makes its slow return, may we be confident in the abundance of what will come, even when we see no evidence of it. May we know that even as the cold closes in, a fire of love burns within every cell. May we rest. Amen.

For more about the winter survival strategies of trees and frogs:

Trees: https://www.stateforesters.org/2022/02/02/what-happens-to-trees-in-winter/

https://beyondtheleaftreeservice.com/blog/do-tree-roots-grow-in-the-winter/#:~:text=In%20winter%2C%20while%20above%2Dground,for%20the%20next%20growing%20season.

Frogs: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-frogs-survive-wint/