You Haven’t Seen Anything Yet!

 

“However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him…”

—1 Corinthians 2:9

As a resident of Pennsylvania, I am surrounded by folks whose eyes are glued to the event in Punxsutawney today. You see, it’s “Groundhog Day.” Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of seers, the Prognosticator of prognosticators, will emerge from his den on Gobler’s Knob and if he sees his shadow we will have six more weeks of winter—or so the “legend” says.

The former interim pastor of the church I attend in Erie, Pennsylvania, was long ago actually named an Official Groundhog Ambassador for the fury little rodent by the Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce. With a wink and a smile, he tells anyone who will listen that this event was the highpoint of his life.

Pennsylvanian’s fascination with Groundhog Day stems from German immigrants who sincerely believed that clear skies on Candlemas Day, February 2nd, heralded cold weather in the weeks that followed. They based their belief on a German myth that if the sun shone on Candlemas Day, a hedgehog, casting its shadow, would predict many more weeks of cold weather. When these Germans crossed the ocean to Pennsylvania, they substituted groundhogs for hedgehogs to connect with the local animals.

It should be noted that hedgehogs and groundhogs are actually two very different species. For my money, hedgehogs are far more lovable than groundhogs. But, please don’t tell my former interim pastor how I feel.

Believe it or not, the connection to Candlemas Day has a deep spiritual significance. This is one of the Twelve Great Feasts in the Eastern Orthodox Church that celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple, as recorded in Luke 2:22-40. It marks the completion of all the elements of the Jewish Law to mark the new born Son of God as a rightful heir to King David’s throne. The emergence of the Christ child into the world as a citizen of God’s chosen people, Israel, designates Him clearly as the Messiah and Savior of all human kind.

In the Roman Catholic tradition, Candlemas Day celebrates the purification of Mary following the mandatory six-week period following the birth of Jesus.

We can enjoy a chuckle over secular celebrations like Groundhog Day. But, we do well to understand the connection of many such events with those from the past which have deep spiritual significance.

But, in terms of events yet to come, we can also agree with Antonio in Wiliiam Shakespeare’s The Tempest when he said, “What is past is prologue.” And, most certainly, as we look off into the future, we can agree with the Apostle Paul who writes in 1 Corinthians 2:9:

However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him…

How blessed we are, as children of God’s Kingdom, to know that the most amazing thing we have ever seen will be surpassed many times over by the events we will experience in eternity.

It is a fitting response, as we begin this day, to live in anticipation of what is to come. But, at the same time, we must not lose sight of our role as Christ’s Ambassadors here on earth—proclaiming and demonstrating God’s love to all we meet along the road of life.

 

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