What I’m Thinking: Never Again

After the flood, God told Noah that the rainbow would be a sign of promise: of God’s promise never to destroy the world through water again. So I’m thinking about all the other things I’d like to never see again!

Here’s a transcript:

Lent begins this Ash Wednesday. The ashes mark our repentance: our desire to change from things that we have been doing – the things that we were – and our commitment to become something different, something new, something blessed.

And so we will have ashes available at our morning and evening Bible Studies on Wednesday for you to place that mark upon your head, upon your hand, but most especially upon your heart, and begin the season of Lent waiting, dedicated, committed to transformation.

On Sunday, we’ll be reading from the ninth chapter of Genesis (Genesis 9:8-17) and also from the first chapter of Mark (Mark 1:9-15). The ninth chapter of Genesis is the account of the end of the flood, and of God’s promise to Noah and to Noah’s descendants that the rainbow would symbolize God’s determination never again to end life with the waters of a flood.

Never again.

There are so many ways to hear that phrase. I was looking at it as I was typing out my sermon title and realizing that “never again” could also mean “I’ll never again come into this church and listen to this guy!” “I’ll never again go to YouTube and check out what he’s thinking.”

But I think there are a lot of things in this world that should be a “Never Again.” A Never Again for war. A Never Again for violence. A Never Again for lies and theft. A Never Again for leaving a hungry person unfed. A Never Again for leaving a homeless person unhoused.

What is your Never Again for this Lenten season, or for the days of your life?

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m curious to hear what you’re thinking. So leave me your thoughts in the comment section below; I’d love to hear from you!