Life Cycles and Resurrection
By: Rachel Winn
Years ago, a friend and I were discussing resurrection, life, inner work, and relationships. Something she said really resonated with me; and as I let it simmer in my soul, there wasn’t a single situation I could think of where her words didn’t apply. It’s simply a universal truth:
Fear always manifests itself in control.
In my younger years, I was very anxious. Frequently, I found myself behaving in a rigid manner to project the illusion of control and stability. It took a lot of failure, therapy, and patience to move past such inflexibility and not jump to the other extreme of chaos. My growth required many deaths to be sure; and even now as I’ve journeyed on a new, fulfilling, and centered path, I help keep my anxiety and catastrophizing in check through self-reflection, prayer, and asking my closest friends to be a sounding board for my concerns. They remind me of the true goodness of our Lord, to trust the process, and that everything is really going to be okay in the end.
My thoughts drifted to all the times the Old and New Testament scriptures say, “Do not be afraid.” I noticed that in fear, people make all kinds of decisions they may otherwise not. Fear is part of what caused the Jewish leaders to be jealous of Jesus and want to kill him; and of course, the Romans were afraid of political uprisings as people declared Jesus the Messiah. Any government would want to quell potential revolutions that would strip them of their power. They simply could not hear the greater message of Jesus through their fear of a dissolving Empire and that fear manifested itself in violence.
In fear, our desire can be to control the way we see circumstances and not consider other points of view. I thought of how Jesus wasn’t recognized on the road to Emmaus, even as he was explaining the meaning of all that had happened to fulfill the scriptures. Jesus must have looked different in some way or perhaps the men were so absorbed in themselves they were not present to what was happening right before them, even though their hearts were burning. I considered Paul’s conversion and how his new life in Christ meant his everyday life shifted drastically. His friends and family were probably very afraid after his experience. The Paul they knew was suddenly different, and different is unfamiliar and unsettling. He, too, probably struggled to transition from his old life and begin living in the Truth. All the first believers must have labored to some degree to live out what they learned and experienced. Sometimes we gloss over the reality that their lives changed significantly in every way post-resurrection and how much these changes cost them. There are so many reminders in the scriptures to take courage in spreading the Good News; and there would be no reason to record these statements, unless there were reasons to be afraid.
Death, literal and figurative, always means a shift and growth. When new life comes afterward, it doesn’t look the same and it’s often intimidating. It’s so beautiful how God gives us comfort in the model of life, death, and rebirth in the natural world. Life cycles and seasons are safe and predictable parts of our lives. Trees often appear the same from one year to the next. But after a few years, significant changes are finally visible to the naked eye. Every oak tree began as an acorn. Caterpillars transition through liquid metamorphosis to butterflies. And mammals grow in the “secret places” to be birthed into a smaller version of their parents. The pattern is everywhere!
The transition from Summer to Autumn has brought an unmistakable coziness to the air. Winter will follow and reluctantly give way to Spring. We will hear birds’ songs and watch flowers bloom, reminding us of the beauty that invariably comes after barren months. In our lives, as well, we will encounter new seasons in school, work, marriages, and friendships, requiring us to grow. While there will be good memories to hold onto from the past, the present is different and continuously evolving. Fear not! As for my current season, I will let my friend’s words marinate, take root, and guide my heart and mind to receive the good fruit coming from promised new growth.
Rachel Winn
I've been married to my high school sweetheart, Dr. Abel Winn '01, for almost 25 years. We have 5 children ages 21-9 and a little black shih-tzu named Mr. Knightley. I grew up in the USAF and have lived in 3 countries and 10 states. I love our Lord Jesus, connecting to people's stories, hosting people in our home, and international travel. I'm known on campus as the unofficial Whitley dorm cookie mom, ATO Aunt, and KKG wannabe. When I grow up, I want to have the energy to be as successful at Mock Rock as the Simpson Residents.
