New Season: New Life

 A Story for the Coming of Spring

Tomorrow, March 20, at 5:24pm, marks the Spring Equinox.  In other words, tomorrow is the first day of Spring!  

People of different cultures welcome the arrival of spring in a variety of ways—

·       Every year, hundreds of thousands of people climb 360 steps up the ancient Pyramid of the Sun near Mexico City.   When they get to the top, they throw their arms up to the sun and welcome Springtime.

·       In India, the first day of Spring is called the Festival of Colors.  During this festival, people walk through the streets, throwing colored powder on each other.

·       In Gloucester, England, they roll a huge wheel of cheese down a steep street called Cooper’s Hill.

     The people of Thailand reach for their cannon-sized water guns, buckets, pressure hoses, or any other creative way they can think of to drench their neighbors in water on the first day of spring.

·       And finally, each Spring Equinox, at sunrise, people living in the town of Zenica in Bosnia, gather at the Bosna River and enjoy a community breakfast of scrambled eggs.

Spring is a season worth celebrating!  It is a season of promise and hope as we see new life springing up all around us.  Each day in springtime grows longer and warmer.  There are fresh, new leaves coming out on the trees, and beautiful flowers like daffodils and crocus tell us that Spring has arrived.  

Christians around the world welcome Spring with joy.  When Spring comes, we know that Easter will soon be here.  And Easter is the most important day of the year for those who love and follow Jesus.

You’ll hear more about Easter and why it is such an important day in the coming weeks.  For now, let’s thank God for Spring and all the promise and new life it holds.