Friday December 1, 2017
In every crisis is an opportunity. Every cloud has a silver lining. Death ushers in birth. Amidst tragedies new hope is born. We often hear heartwarming stories of babies being born right in the midst of a devouring tsunami or a shattering earthquake. Something seems to end, but something else is just beginning. There is hope beyond hopelessness. After the darkest hour, the light of dawn breaks.
Jesus uses the image of the fig tree to teach the disciples that amidst all violence, wars, natural disasters, and manmade calamities, when everything is thought to end forever, there will be signs of new life—God will triumph and His Kingdom will come. The image of the fig tree is significant for the Jews of Jesus’s times. Fig was part of their food. It bore fruit twice a year, in the autumn and in the early spring. When buds sprouted on the figs, they knew the season was beginning. And they were filled with anticipation and preparation.
When all seems to end, do not lose heart. It’s all just beginning. Read the signs of the times, the signs of the Spirit.
