Reach Up

We interrupt your regularly scheduled bulletin article to bring you a science lesson. Why? Because it is totally cool, that's why! Maybe you are a super genius and learned this before last week, but among the large amount of things I didn't know was this interesting fact: Did you know that lightning can come up out of the ground?!? When a lightning bolt forms in a cloud and tries to find its way to earth, it has a crazy effect on the ground.  It isn't like the ground just sits around and waits for lightning to strike it.  Little bursts of what looks like ground lighting - actually called "positive streamers" which are sometimes 3 feet, sometimes 300 feet - are drawn up from all around to meet the lightning strike from the cloud! Like this: Then when the lightning from the cloud (technically the "step leader" which is searching for a path to the ground) makes contact with one of these positive streamers: BOOM! I know I said this article is about science, but I have to say that the whole idea of positively charged streamers flying out of the ground drawn by the powerful energy coming out of the sky couldn't help but draw out some reflection on the spiritual life, too. As I watched a super cool video explaining this phenomenon, I kept thinking about how God is always looking for a "path" to earth. The Lord sought out Abraham to bless all nations through him. He found King David to be a "man after His own heart."  He connected with those receptive listeners called the prophets. Then God made the most powerful connection to that point in history with a woman who reached out her hands with the response, "Be it done unto me according to your word," and indescribable, unfathomable power flowed through her. In the fullness of time, God sent His only begotten Son Who reached up to heaven as the Father reached down and formed a powerful connection with earth that will never be broken. Still today, God is searching for more pathways to send down His healing, transforming, life-giving power to the world.  He is reaching down, step-by-step, with his Word and with His Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of... well... all of them! Of course, He also continually reaches down through His total accessibility in prayer. It is pure scientific wonder to discover the ways that lightning finds its way to the ground, but God's ways of finding a path into the human heart are so much more awesome. Reach out! He is there: in prayer, in Sacrament, and in Power!

God's blessing on you and your family this week and always, ~Mandie DeVries Director of Religious Education