Hello,
BEWARE: POISON IVY ON THE RISE!
As I wind my way over the ridge to and from work, I often listen to the
news magazine programs on Public Radio.
In addition to covering the daily news, they also examine a wide range
of topics. So, when they said that
after the break they would be taking a look at the increasing Poison Ivy growth
in our country, my ears perked up because on our property we have enough poison
ivy that if I could figure out a practical use for it, I could give up my day
job!
Apparently, poison ivy is flourishing in our country. It is more pervasive and bigger in
size. “It is not unusual,” said
the interviewee, “for you to find pan-size leaves.” Beyond its size, it is also cropping up in places that it
had never grown before. Scientists
aren’t sure why. Is it the growth
of CO2 in the atmosphere? Is it
the weather? Who knows? But…. BEWARE:POISON IVY ON THE RISE!
That is bad news for the 80% of the population that is affected by its
toxin. I don’t know if I am part
of that 80% or not. Truth is that
I walk through it daily and mow over it weekly, and to date….either because I
am part of the lucky 20% or because I vigorously wash with Dawn Dish soap if I
have been in it…I have not caught it (knock/wood). And I hope not to catch it having heard the testimony of a
local pastor who is battling its itch, and having heard from the radio
interview that a person can die from it
There are those who say that poison ivy isn’t the only enemy on the
rise, they also say that “poison ivy” is flourishing like never before in the
world: violence, drugs,
carousing….and with them an itch of hopelessness, purposelessness, and fear
that doesn’t go away. As I
look around my corner of the world and see the fragility of relationships, the
vice grip that drugs in which many are caught, and the lock and alarm systems
that abound, it is clear to me that “poison ivy” is flourishing in our
day. But on the other hand, being
a person who was raised in the ‘60’s where “poison ivy” grew pretty well then,
too, I can only suspect that the truth of the matter is that “poison ivy” is
one of those things that grows pretty well no matter what the decade.
The Bible calls this “poison ivy” sin, and just like the green thing
that spreads on the ground, you and I know that poison ivy/sin can kill
you. Hopelessness can sap the life
right out of you. Shame can itch
at your soul and drive you crazy.
Fear can swell up and make life painful to touch.
It may be no coincidence that when God, in his love and mercy, provided
the remedy for this “poison ivy” that God’s remedy came in the form of washing,
the washing of Baptism. Sure the
water of Baptism is simple water, but instead of being mixed with Dawn Dish
soap, the waters of Baptism are infused with the promises of God….promises that
cut through the oil of the “poison ivy” and take away the itch. Guilt and shame are washed away with
God’s promise from the cross, “You are forgiven.” Hopelessness and fear are washed away with God’s promise, “You
are mine, and I will never let you go.”
So if you are “itching”, let me invite you to come to church this Sunday
where the echo of those Baptismal promises will wash over you, and where Jesus
will invite you to his table and give you a “booster shot” of his love and
mercy in Holy Communion. Fact is, “poison
ivy” is flourishing. Every one of
us walks through it and mows it down every day…..so, from one “itcher” to
another, let me invite you to church where the “itch” will find its end and overwhelming
thanksgiving will take its place.
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace, (GGAP)
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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