Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and she told them that he had said these things to her.
– John 20:17-18, NRSV
God’s love is present
Persistent, bold energy
that awakens life.
Haiku 7, Day 7, 49 Haiku Challenge
Carla A. Romarate-Knipel
Without question, poetry has been a lifeline to me since the pandemic started in March 2020. I had always enjoyed reading poetry, but my interest in writing poems began when I responded to a poetry challenge to write seven haikus for seven days on September 7, 2020. (A haiku is a poetry form that originated in Japan and consists of three lines: the first line has five syllables, the second, seven, and the third, five.)
We were still in stay-at-home mode due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The writing exercises helped me to receive the gift of the moment and find comfort in the act of crafting a few simple lines.
Every day, first thing in the morning, I showed up on my desk and wrote seven haikus. I first listened to the instructor give a lesson for about 10 minutes that included the theme of the day and word prompts.
After the virtual teaching session, I began to write the seven haikus, three lines at a time, using the theme, the prompts, and what I had discovered in my time of observation and personal reflection.
It became a journey of exploration and discovery about what’s going on inside me, around me, and God speaking to me in unexpected ways. This quiet quest for words led me to pay close attention to things in nature, and within me, in ways I hadn’t done before.
It was also surprising to experience that the limitations of the three lines felt liberating. The prescribed syllable count created boundaries that freed me from overthinking (something I am prone to do). Each day I learned to ‘see’ not only with my eyes but with my heart. What started as a writing challenge became a spiritual practice that helped me connect with God in a meaningful way.
The haikus were like mini gardens, which gave me the opportunity to “see the Lord,” as Mary Magdalene did on that first Easter morning. Even in the gloom of the pandemic, the resurrection light of God through Christ shone through in the three lines I wrote.
I shared my haikus with many who, like me, have been struggling through this pandemic and all the losses and chaos that’s going on in our world. Some of those who have read them shared how it has brought them hope and encouragement.
Knowing that gives me great joy, and I hope to continue writing and sharing these three simple lines with anyone willing to read them.
Whether it’s poetry, haikus, music, gardening, cooking, or simply taking a walk, we have the opportunity to ‘see’ Jesus, our Risen Lord, who comes to us in unexpected ways when we take the time to look and listen. May the season of Easter be the time for us to do just that.
Though the pandemic is not yet over, I am thankful that we have been able to gather together in person while being mindful of the need to be cautiously optimistic.
I hope that we remember the good and creative things that have come out of our experiences of being ‘stuck at home and use them as inspiration in moving forward in doing God’s mission.
I invite you to pray and reflect on these three questions and insights.
- “How are you feeling?” – Celebrate gifts and grieve losses.
- “Who are we now?” – Recognize who we have become through this pandemic.
- “Where do we go from here?” – Discern where God’s bold love is at work to fuel and re-energize our ministry in the present and the future.
While prayerfully reflecting on these questions, let us also remember that, like Mary Magdalene, we have instructions from the Lord, “to go tell your brothers” that Jesus is risen!
Empowered by God, let us go out into our community to share this message with words and deeds of love and kindness that reflect the joy and hope of the resurrection of our Lord.
Jesus is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Amen!
A Blessed Easter to Everyone!
Yours in the love of Christ,
Pastor Carla
Leave a Reply