April 1, 2016 Pastoral Letter:
Dear Members and Friends,
The poet T. S. Elliot says “April is the cruelest month…” in his poem The Waste Land. Do we expect too much from April? From my window, I see new shoots of green. I rejoice knowing there will soon be thousands of shades of green on my dune. I am filled with joy as I watch with expectation the unfolding of buds and flowers. But I feel some sadness, too. I realize that I am not part of this miraculous renewal that I am witnessing. I have always thought of spring as a symbol of the Eternal. That comforts me.
After the cold and gray winner, April comes to us as a resurrection with a palette of bright colors and symphonies of birdsong.
The sadness that T. S. Elliot expresses in The Waste Land comes from the fact that Nature is bursting with color and new life, while we are the same physically, not part of this annual rebirth. But we can be inspired and uplifted by spring’s beauty.
We participate in the Eternal every moment. And knowing this, we can feel joy. The one solid rock of my life is that Love is Eternal. I am thinking of you all in this time of renewal and hope to celebrate with you soon.
Love,
Viola
