Monday, April 1, 2013

An April Fools Meditation


There was a time when the start of the New Year was celebrated at the time of the Vernal Equinox, which is also Easter time. New years day was celebrated on April first and people would have parties and exchange gifts. Many church leaders were unhappy about having the celebration of the New Year during Easter. So in 1564 the King of France adopted the new Gregorian calendar, which we use today, and the New Year changed to January first. Many people found this a hard change to adjust too and would celebrate the new year in April, they were then called “April Fools” as a result. Often they became the objects of other people’s jokes. The tradition lives on!

This is also April first and in the grand old tradition of that day is also the start of many jokes and pranks. Change brought about a day for fools of many kinds Yet we know that change happens on a daily basis and will happen again and again. Even when I can see the good that a change might bring I tend to question its wisdom. In church it is difficult to accommodate change even when it is a good change. So who is the fool when that happens?

So as we face April first and all that it brings our way our prayer might be: “Give me a sense of humor, Lord, and the grace to see a joke. Help me get some pleasure out of life and pass it on to other folk. Lord, may I see your hand in all the changes that swirl around me and accept with grace a new understanding of the world you placed in my care.”

Enjoy your April Fools day by being in the presence of the Lord in prayer.

No comments:

Post a Comment