In Springtime, the world is mud-lucious and puddle-wonderful.
That’s how the English poet e.e. cummings describes this season of rebirth and renewal in a poem titled, in Just-spring. It’s a beautiful and evocative celebration of this marvelous time of the year. It is also a wonderful expression of the joys of childhood—the springtime of our lives—with descriptions of two boys whose names run together because they are such close friends. eddieandbill come running after playing marbles or pretending to be pirates. Meanwhile, two girls, equally close friends bettyandisbel dance from hopscotch and jump rope.
This poem has long been one of my favorites because of the winsome way that the poet plays with language, words, and images. It brings joy every time I read it because I can see those boys playing marbles and the girls jumping hopscotch and I want to jump into a puddle and get covered in mud. This year, the season of Spring has had significant rainfall and some surprising temperature swings—making it exceptionally mudlucious and making the warm and sunny days even more beautiful.
What are your favorite memories of spring? What joys from childhood have you carried with you through your life?
Maybe it’s just me, but during this time when there’s so much cynicism and fear and just plain old meanness, the world feels old. So I’m particularly grateful to remember and celebrate the promise of new life offered by springtime—and by the promises of our faith.
Christian hope and joy are rooted in the promise of the resurrection. On Easter Sunday, we celebrated that ancient story of an empty tomb and the assurance that God will not allow death or hatred to have the last word. The resurrection of Jesus—and the many ways that he appeared to the disciples—is the embodiment of God’s love for each of us and all of creation. The power of that love is so great that nothing can overcome it, not even death itself.
My prayer is that you see signs of resurrection hope in the world around us—in blooming tulips and flowering trees, in the smiles and giggles of children, in simple acts of care for friends and strangers. Maybe you’ll even find such frivolous joy that you’ll want to jump in a mudpuddle the next time it rains.
Grace and peace,
Chris
Little boy having fun jumping in muddy puddles