“Thank God, who gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." ~ 1 Corin 15:57
One of my favorite Autumn songs is
the soul-gripping tune by the fabled folk-rock duo, Simon & Garfunkel. Released
in 1966, “Leaves That Are Green” poetically explores the passage of time, the
fleeting nature of life, and the bittersweet emotions that accompany the certainty
of change.
As the song progresses, Simon
cleverly uses the metaphor of leaves changing color and falling from trees to
symbolize the passage of time and the impermanence of youth. The lyrics evoke a
sense of melancholy that comes with growing older.
Yellow leaves framed the walking
path on my walk today. As their bright green color fades, it seems they drop
almost as quickly as they change. I like the summer months but part of me
whispers to the trees: “Hold on just a little longer.”
Springtime will bring its own
beauty. It’s a relief to see new growth after a long, harsh winter. Then spring
morphs into summer, and soon verdant forests become the new normal. It’s not
that we get tired of green, but in a way, we get used to it. In the Fall, God’s
creative artistry bellows a glory all its own.
Western culture is all about the
glories of youth: strength, vitality, a body neither weathered nor weakened by
time. In our culture, we see splendor in youth and freshness. Aging is looked
upon with a skeptical eye. Autumn leaves are delicate, but their bold colors
are so bright they shine.
Autumn doesn’t stay - reminding
us that winter is coming. Its beauty and wonder fade, “and the leaves that
are green turn to brown.” Its presence changes into winter’s chilled
silence.
Just like autumn, I too will not
live forever. My leaves will also die. My chlorophyll will break down; my limbs
will turn brittle; one of these casual breaths I take now will be my last.
It’s this truth, that gives us
the hope of dying fabulously. When I pass, I don’t wish to cling to the edges
of this earth, begging for one more day. I want to die with grace, falling back
into the arms of my Savior, knowing that His beauty is greater than anything I
could compare on this earth.
Winter comes to us all. But
winter isn’t the end for Christians, because our lives are joined to a tree
that winter can’t touch. Death has no sting; winter has no bite. We will fall
from Adam’s tree, but we will flower again in a spring of eternal, magnificent
growth.
