"SEASONS OF LIFE"

A Sermon by the Rev. Bruce Clear

Sunday, December 12, 2004

All Souls Unitarian Church

Indianapolis, Indiana

I don't know how many of you have lived in a part of the world without well-defined seasons, but I have. Each year at this time, as the calendar turns to December, I am reminded of the impact seasons have on me and so many people. One impact on me is that there is the danger of seasons prompting thoughts into the direction of a sermon.

Rich in our Unitarian Universalist tradition is the transcendentalist embrace of nature as an avenue for understanding ourselves better. The two big names of Transcendentalism, Emerson and Thoreau, filled their writings with reflections on how seasons affect life. The point often made by the transcendentalists is that nature is our link to the universe – it offers us insight and guidance to what is real and what is true. We are well advised, they say, that if we wish to know ourselves more deeply, we should pay close attention to nature – to the cycle of life in the animals and vegetation, to the beauty and strength of a landscape, and most of all to the stunning transformation of nature as the seasons change over a year. Nature is our guide, keeping us in tune with life's real joy and purpose.

It is during this holiday season, of Thanksgiving and Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and New Year, that most feel the impact of season. The climate becomes dramatic, even imposing, and we know how close our lives are to the cycle of seasons.

I wish this morning for us to reflect a while on what the seasons of nature can tell us about how we experience life – its fullness, its impact on our emotions, and its impact on our values. There is a common metaphor for life that attaches seasons to the aging process: youth is Springtime, our adulthood goes through Summer and then Fall, and older age is Winter, our so called "December" time. "It's a long, long way from May to December" we are told in song and poetry. I have used that metaphor from time to time myself, but today I wish to take that metaphor in a different direction.

This metaphor can be illustrated in a passage from Robert Louis Stevenson when he identified the various stages of growth, from childhood to old age, and he argued that “true wisdom is to be always seasonable.” Here is that passage:

"Childhood must pass away, and then youth, as surely as age approaches. The true wisdom is to be always seasonable, and to change with a good grace in changing circumstances. To love playthings well as a child, to lead an adventurous and honorable youth, and to settle when the time arrives, into a green and smiling age, is to be a good artist in life and deserve well of yourself and your neighbour."

But I am not so sure that the so-called seasons of life are, or ought to be, quite as distinct as the seasons of the year. In fact, I hope to propose a very different way of understanding the life’s seasons. It is not so much that our lives cycle through the seasons from Spring to Winter, it is rather that the seasons cycle through our lives, each one returning again at any age, so that we can experience, whether young or old, the Spring-times in life or harvest-times in life. It is not that seasons represent stages of life, but rather that seasons reflect a quality of experiences that appear and reappear throughout our life – at all stages of life. The idea is not so much any given season of life, but rather reoccurring seasons in life.

It seems to me that life is continually filled with the feel and experience of each of the seasons. Sometimes our life is full and abundant, and many might compare that to a hot Summer day; sometimes we feel the abundance slipping away in life, which, for some, might feel like the crisp awakening of Fall; sometimes life is bleak and chilly like a dark Winter morning, and sometimes we awake to the fresh and creative promise of new adventure in life, like the fresh air of Spring. There is no calendar that tells us when these psychological "climates" come into our lives, but what is certain is that, like the seasons of nature, they cycle through over and over again. And like the seasons of nature, they keep us attuned to the richness that life offers.

I like my seasons in the world to be distinct and certain, without the ambiguities of some climates. But life is experienced as ambiguous, and the ebb and flow is subtle, not distinct. Yet the seasons in life are clearly discernable.

There is Springtime in life – times of life which remind us of Spring. Even in early December, during this opening of Winter, most of us can remember the feelings that rush through us during Spring. The memory may grow fainter and fainter in us over the next few weeks, but the memory of Spring remains. And for some lucky souls, we will experience the feeling of Spring even in December. There will be a new acquaintance, a promotion, or a baby or grand-baby born that will make even a dark, cold winter night have a feeling to it like that of a bright, warm spring day. The memory will never disappear. It remains in part because Springtime is not just a season; it is a part of our life. The feel of Spring happens to us in life most often when there is something new and exciting coming – a new job, a new child, new friends, or a big move.

I have made a number of major moves in my life – from coast to coast and back. Each time I have come to a new place, I have felt the excitement of exploration and the anticipation of new adventures. There is nothing quite like feeling that the world is brand new and waiting for it to reveal itself. That is the feeling of Spring, to me.

I am impressed by how often that feeling can be invoked by matters big and small. It is there big-time whenever a child is born. But it is there in little things as well. If a new person enters into my life, or if an unexpected warm family event occurs, I feel a touch of Spring – a minor sense of newness in life. Many of us are old enough remember a little newness to life when we first decided to learn what computers are all about. Our first experience with it might have had its frustrations, but it also had a hint of Spring birth. Any opportunity to explore a new aspect of the world or of life brings the scent of Spring.

Walking through a bookstore, viewing the new possibilities for learning or entertaining escape, opens up Spring feelings of fresh possibilities for many of us. Taking a vacation, hearing a new song on the radio, finding a different route to take to work, rearranging the furniture in your room – it is amazing how many opportunities there are in life to invoke in us this Springtime feeling of new and fresh potential. It is there, I think, everyday, if we can only be aware of it. It's worth noting, too, that we can make that feeling appear by our own choices – as in finding a new route to work, listening to different music, deciding to rearrange or redecorate. The ability to find Spring's feeling in life can be compared with the ability to put zest into one's daily life. Spring is not a stage of the human life cycle; it is rather a part of life experience at any age and in any season of the year.

Springtime is a season worth celebrating, and it is worth honoring and celebrating the feeling of Spring in life, wherever it comes and whenever it comes.

There is Summer in life as well – times of life that make us feel the fullness of life like the abundant fullness of a Summer afternoon. Life has a Summer feel whenever we enjoy what we have – not the anticipation of new possibilities like Spring, but the simple joy of appreciating what is there. There is a Summer feel to life when a parent is proud of their child or when a project around the house is accomplished or when you discover some unexpected free time to spend with your partner or friends.

I mentioned the Spring-time feel I've had whenever I moved to a new city. But there is an equally satisfying Summer feel I have when I learn about the new place and feel it is mine. It is a Summer feel to know the best route to take to your destination, and to listen to the local news and recognize the names and the issues as relevant and important. It is a Summer feel to life whenever you feel you belong in a place or community or family.

There are major parts of life that can have that Summer feel of abundance and appreciation. Those who really enjoy their work find that feeling. Those who are satisfied with their current material possessions and are not longing after more and more are ones who enjoy the Summer feel of life. Those who are with the person they really want to be with in life know the joys of summer abundance. The motto of the Summer part of life comes to us when we sit down, rest our feet, look around, and say, "It doesn't get any better than this!" That feeling for most of us is very rare, I confess, but I also believe most of us have felt that from time to time. It is a Summer-like feeling of fullness. Perhaps one of the advantages to being older is that we are more apt to take the time to notice and appreciate that Summer feel.

But there are also many little pieces of life that can reflect summer abundance. Life's Summer is there when you're doing a task that is enjoyable or important, or both, and it is there when you decide to take a break from that task and relax by putting your feet up and rest. Life's Summer is felt when a good meal is eaten or a good book is finished or a deep conversation is concluded. It is amazing how many opportunities there are in life to invoke in us this Summertime feeling of abundance and contentment. It is there, I think, everyday, if we can only be aware of it. The Summer feeling can be created by each of us, too, if we take the time and make the effort. It is not so much that Summer is an identifiable stage in a person’s life, but rather a recurring part of life experience at any age.

Summer is a season worth celebrating, and it is worth honoring and celebrating the feeling of Summer in life, wherever it comes and whenever it comes.

There is an Autumn in life as well – times in life when we become aware of life's changes and transitions, which awaken in us the sometimes brute fact that there are circumstances and situations in life about which we have little control. Fall season is a wake-up call telling us that life is not just freshness and abundance – it requires us to pay attention to basic needs and to be alert to demands of existence, many of which are bound to change whether we plan it or not.

Though farming metaphors don't go very far in this day and age, traditionally the Fall was a time to gather the harvest together so it would supply needs over the winter. But Fall for us is also a time of preparation for transition – storm windows are installed, car engines get winterized, summer clothes get stored and the heavy coats are unpacked. To some, Fall feels wonderful. It means no more lawn mowing for several months and a break from gardening tasks. To others Fall is dreaded, for leaves need to be raked, heating bills and begin to climb. But to all, it is a season of preparation, and of reflection.

In my move to the new city analogy, the Fall feeling occurs when that new route to work now has road construction, or the people's name who I recognized on the news begin changing to new names I haven't heard before. It is the realization that the Summer feel of belonging can still exist, even though things continue to change.

The Autumn time of life is a time of wake-up calls, alerting us to changes that need to be made in the course of our lives to make it healthier and more rewarding. Whenever we take time to evaluate the course of our life or plan for a secure future, we are experiencing Autumn feelings.

The Fall feeling can occur in lives as we send our children off to college, or when we prepare a house to be put up for sale. It can occur when one of our children makes a remark that makes us look more closely at ourselves. It can also be the joy of discovering new ways to do tasks that have become mundane, or realizing we have moved into a different and pleasant stage of life without even realizing it. The Fall feeling of life is one that can be viewed as pleasant or unpleasant, and, again, can be created by each of us as we live our daily lives. Fall is not a stage of life that comes and goes; we face it at all stages in life whenever we experience the transitions that continually reevaluate and rearrange life’s course.

Autumn is a season worth celebrating, and it is worth honoring and celebrating the feeling of Autumn in life, wherever it comes and whenever it comes.

So now comes Winter. We all know there is a Winter in life – times of life which make us feel like the chill of Winter air. The feel of Winter is often associated with some sense of loss: the move from a life-long home, the closing of a company where we have worked for years, the loss of friends and relatives, or the feeling of weariness and even mortality with the aches and pains as we age. These are the negative images of the Winter feel, I admit, and they are often used in poetry and imagery. And, as I stated in the beginning of this sermon, the metaphor for life that attaches seasons to the aging process associates Winter, particularly December, with our old age.

Winter, however, has its positive and universal feel as well. There is the feel of the warm fireplace on a chilly night. There is a Winter feel of security, when doors and windows are closed and locked. The Winter feel of foods baking, fresh new snow, anticipation of family visits, and a new and different interest while watching or listening to weather reports.

There is a certain comfort in Winter that no other season knows. It is identified in an essay on Winter by Greta Crosby, who said this:

“Let us not wish away winter. It is a season in itself, not simply the way to spring. When trees rest, growing no leaves, gathering no light, they let in sky and trace themselves delicately against dawns and sunsets.

“The clarity and brilliance of the winter sky delight. The loom of fog softens edges, lulls the eyes and ears of the quiet, awakens by risk the unquiet. A low dark sky can snow, emblem of individuality, liberality, aggregate power. Snow invites to contemplation and to sport.

“Winter is a table set with ice and starlight. Winter dark tends to warm light, fire and candle; winter cold to hugs and huddles; winter want to gifts and to sharing; winter danger to visions, plans, and common endeavoring -- and the zest of narrow escapes; winter tedium to merrymaking.

“Let us therefore praise winter, rich in beauty, challenge, and pregnant negativities.”

The Winter feel of my move to the new city occurs with a feeling of comfort and warmth – when I have the sense of belonging, the acceptance of the changes, and the security of knowing that whether I live on either coast, or in between, or in any city, life will keep moving and the Seasons of life – the Seasonal feelings of life – will continue to occur at random, and will continue to change.

But Winter also brings us the most festive time of year. It is the joy of the Christmas holiday season. Winter is in some ways a celebration of contradiction. It is in the darkness of Winter, perhaps, that we make our search for the deepest meanings of life. In the darkness, we light candles and illuminate trees and houses. In the coldest of times, our fireplaces provide warmth. It is in the so-called “dead” of Winter that we celebrate life in mystery and myth, through the birth of a child 2,000 years ago.

Winter experiences in life are experiences of the heart, that bring hope when life seems short of hope and joy when times are lean. That is the meaning of the Christmas season, and that is the meaning of Winter experiences in life.

Unitarian minister Preston Bradley made the point with these words:

“Christmastime is the heart time of year. It is the sublime hour when argument and speculation are intruders. . . . The world does not ask on Christmas morn about miracles and astronomy. It is too occupied by the love light from the glowing eyes of a little child. It is seeing the miracle of love, and is singing its song of joy after a pilgrimage where it followed a star.

“Wherever love has its habitation, there Christmas dwells. Every destructive devitalizing, discordant agency of life may be ultimately and permanently dissipated by the spirit of love and unselfishness. Christmas proves that.

“It is harder to hate at Christmas. Hearts are softened as the day comes. Forgotten friends are remembered suddenly, and tears spring without shame when old memories are awakened. In the long, long year it is the one time when even the wisest and most inflexible admit the beauty of true sentiment, without fear of becoming merely sentimental.”

Winter gives us permission to welcome our idealistic side, and it opens our minds to myth and mystery. All cultures have their own Winter holidays, and the one that dominates our culture is Christmas. Yet all holidays share in the celebration of hope and joy. All Winter holidays allow us to dream, and permit us to imagine though myth and mystery. While the traditional metaphor of Winter is the older years of life, the fact is that our holiday focuses on children, and invites the spirit of the child. A Winter experiences in life join together the wisdom of age with the expectancy of joy of youth. That is the gift of Christmas.

We have a lot to learn from life's winter season. It is no wonder that in the midst of the years' winter, when the climate is most threatening to us, the entire world holds its greatest time of celebration and holiday.

Winter is not really a stage of life. It is an experience we can have at any age, an experience of finding meaning in story and myth and even in contradiction. The themes of light and warmth and love and hope are in the forefront of this experience, and they appear at all stages of life.

Winter is a season worth celebrating, and it is worth honoring and celebrating the feeling of Winter in life, wherever it comes and whenever it comes.

The point, it seems to me is that the seasons of life are always within us, being felt and expressed as we go along. The great existentialist philosopher Albert Camus made the point about as bluntly as I've ever seen it made:

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."

It is up to each of us to make the Seasons of life be the most joyous. To find the moments in each day where we celebrate or reflect on the positive Season feelings. As the holiday Season unfolds, may we find in our experiences the freshness of Spring, the abundance of summer, the life transitions of Fall, and the meanings of myth and hope of Winter.