There is a phrase I often think of this time of the year. It’s associated with my dad in my thinking. “What do you want for Christmas, daddy?” was our childhood question. To which he almost always replied, “Peace in the valley.”
As children we did not find that answer to be particularly helpful, nor easily understood. I can remember puzzling over it in my thinking: Where is this valley? Why isn’t there any peace there? We did not live in a valley, though we lived near one – Chad valley. Dad’s workplace was located, more or less, in that valley. Maybe that was it? We’d been through valleys on family vacations. The one that comes to mind is Maggie Valley in North Carolina. It was located on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Perhaps they needed peace? But the ease with which dad let his seasonal response roll off his tongue led me to believe there was more to this – this peace, in the valley; this valley peace.
Those of you who know gospel music will recognize this phrase as the title of a song. Continue reading
The season that follows Easter in the church year is called “Eastertide”. In our house we’ve been talking about this week in terms of it being Easter Monday, Easter Tuesday, Easter Wednesday . . . So, while the culture and world around us packs up the Easter season and moves on – to the latest news cycle, presidential primary, MLB season, or whatever – and while churches and pastors slow in their reporting (er- bragging?) about Easter Sunday attendance and hope they might see at least two-thirds of those folks again this Sunday . . . I’d like to linger a bit with Easter’s news and implications.
danielcash 