Hebrews 1: 1-12

Frederick Streets, a pastor in Connecticut and former chaplain at Yale University, wrote a poem that describes the hope that we feel for this coming year. It appeared in the Yale Divinity School Journal, Reflections, the recent theme of which was also hope. Let these words sink in. He writes: We will laugh again, without caution. We will smile again, without constraint. We will embrace again, without defense. We will speak again, without muted sounds. We will, again, side by side, look at the stars. Again, we will gather in places and spaces unsoiled by our anxiety and fear. We will freely breathe deeply, again. We will dance again with our cheeks close enough to hear our whispering to one another. We will mourn again, openly. We will greet each other again closely, without suspicion. Children will hug us again. And we will hug children, again We will invite solitude, again. We will imagine again without desperation. We will again feel the joy that hope brings. We will play together again. We will sing together again. We will cheer together again. We will pray together again. We will feel each other’s hands and arms, Again, tomorrow. Tomorrow, again...

This opening reading from Hebrews reminded me of that recurring scene from my favorite childhood TV program, “The Lone Ranger.” After my hero performed another act of derring-do, he would gallop off toward the horizon, and someone would call out, “Who was that masked man?” That reminded me of that famous scene from that wonderful movie, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” After successfully robbing multiple banks, Butch and Sundance are fleeing into the wilderness, doggedly pursued not by some ragtag posse from the nearest town, but by an obviously professional posse wearing white hats. After their most ingenious but ultimately unsuccessful efforts to evade the white hats, Butch and Sundance turn to each other with the same question. “Who are those guys?”

always good insights!

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