“A time for peace; I swear it’s not too late”. Lyrics by Pete Seeger from the song, Turn! Turn! Turn!, The Byrds (1965)
Yesterday during Mass, I found myself heartened by that timeless passage from Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8, words that were written more than 2,400 years ago and which became the genesis of that beautiful song Turn! Turn Turn! written by Pete Seeger for the Byrds in 1965. It’s a song that for many of us conjures up images from our youth and the inherent hope each of holds in our hearts for a better day tomorrow, the next day, and the day after that:
To everything turn, turn, turn. There is a season turn, turn, turn. And a time to every purpose, under Heaven. A time to be born, a time to die. A time to plant, a time to reap. A time to kill, a time to heal. A time to laugh, a time to weep.
To everything turn, turn, turn. There is a season turn, turn, turn. And daytime for every purpose, under Heaven. A time to build up, a time to break down. A time to dance, a time to mourn. A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together.
To everything turn, turn, turn. There is a season turn, turn, turn. And daytime for every purpose, under Heaven. A time of love, a time of hate. A time of war, a time of peace. A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing.
To everything turn, turn, turn. There is a season turn, turn, turn. And day time for every purpose, under Heaven. A time to gain, a time to lose. A time to rend, a time to sew. A time for love, a time for hate. A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late!
There’s a lot you can unpack here, especially with the increasing polarization and toxicity that permeates today’s culture. To me, the reading from Ecclesiastes is a timely reminder that even though times can and do change and not always for the better or the way we would like them to be, God is always with us even if we don’t see Him or take the time in our day to talk to Him in prayer. There’s a real comfort in knowing that and I believe that all of us have an open invitation to try and be more civil, respectful, and understanding of one another in our everyday discourse, especially in those conversations where someone’s view of an issue may not be aligned with our own view. So many of our fellow brothers and sisters are hurting today in one form or another and the current political climate has made many people feel more anxious and fearful of their future. Each of us has that invitation to be a healing presence to someone in need and that can also be a pathway to heal ourselves and that inner peace we all are looking for. That invitation to heal and be a healer is one with no time limit or boundary lines; it’s an invitation that is always there right in front of us even when we don’t see it; God’s grace is abundant and always available for us to accept His invitation. Yes, civility and respect for one another in our everyday interactions requires great effort and patience but it just might be the best gift you could ever give to someone in need and for yourself.
I close with the beautiful refrain from Lenka’s 2011 hit song Everything’s Okay — Keep giving me hope for a better day. Keep giving me love to find a way. Through this heaviness I feel. I just need someone to say, everything’s okay! So let’s together embrace the hope that healing can begin for each of us one moment, one conversation, one person at a time and that we can be the healer we know deep down we can be to someone else who really needs it. And, as Pete Seeger once said, I swear it’s not too late! Everything’s going to be okay.
Blessings to all,
Dr. K
