Neither snow nor rain
I knew a pastor who had a small, framed painting of a mail carrier on her office wall. It wasn’t a particularly unique piece of art, it looked like a postcard set into a frame. It clearly meant something to her, so I asked her about it. In response, she reminded me of the unofficial motto of the US Postal System. “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
The words came from the Greek historian Herodotus. They became associated with the Postal Service when the words “Neither rain nor snow” were etched into the stones of the New York City Postal Building. But I still didn’t understand why that smiling postal worker had such a place of prominence on a church office wall.
“It reminds me to not give up,” she said. “We’ve got this message of life-changing love to share with the world. If a postal carrier can get out there, day after day, even in the most miserable of weather, so can I.”
The last weeks in the United States have been turbulent ones. This election has stretched and torn the already fragile fabric of our communities and families. The future remains uncertain. While some among us are eager to see what the next years will bring, others are scared and worried about the well-being of their loved ones and others. Some see this as a new day dawning, and others as the gloom of night.
Given this reality, the message of Jesus is more needed than it’s ever been. Neither the gloom of night nor the brightness of the sun stays these couriers from their appointed rounds. Regardless of the weather, we’ve each been tasked with doing the stuff Jesus taught us from the beginning: reminding our neighbors that they are loved, caring for the most vulnerable among us, serving others and giving ourselves away, building God’s beloved community, sharing God’s story.
We’re followers of Jesus, who himself was a divine love letter to the world. He drew people into deeper faithfulness. He prayed for his enemies and made no room for hate. He fed hungry people and welcomed the stranger. He ate with a wildly divergent and divided group of people, creating surprising and transforming circles of belonging. He shared a vision of God’s dream for this world and sparked imaginations of what could be. He was bold and compassionate, determined and creative.
And now it’s our turn. We get to carry that love of Jesus into our communities, through our actions and in our words. Each of our routes are different, using our various passions and gifts, but our purpose is shared: to deliver love. We get to be God’s love letter to the world, to our neighbors. We don’t know what the future or the weather will be. But we’ve got appointed rounds, and neither rain nor snow, nor scorching sun nor gloomy night, can keep us from carrying that love into the world.
Dana Wedeking
A timely and much needed message and a reminder to put things into God’s hands and know that He knows how to take care of us. We need to pray for the safety and unification of our country no matter what our political leanings and pray for God’s guidance in the actions of our elected leaders.
Sharon Sanyi
A needed message at this time. Thank you!
Sheila Mesick
A visual image that comes straight from the heart.
Suzanne Benson
Thank you so much for your message…..