And So It Goes...

Back in the day--way back--when I was just out of college, most local TV stations weren’t 24/7. The local NBC affiliate in Oklahoma City ran local news, Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and Late Night with David Letterman. After Letterman, they either signed off the air or played old TV reruns and then signed off in the middle of the night.
 
Along comes this late-night TV news show that just killed it for college students, or people like me who were just getting off work. I watched it every night on a little 12-inch black and white TV with a stick antenna. No cable—my new wife and I were living on love back then.  
 
NBC News Overnight was hosted by Linda Ellerbee and a couple of other guys in and out of the partner chair. Linda Ellerbee is awesome! Ground-breaking female anchor. And the show was super-smart because she is super-smart!
 
She had me at “And so it goes…”
 
They had a routine every night at the close of the broadcast. They would do some cool quirky human-interest story and then Linda would look right into the camera with this inside-joke kinda smirk saying “And so it goes…”
 
Fade to black.
 
And so it goes…
 
What a great reference!
 
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
 
Sci-fi literature. It’s a classic. Semi-autobiographical and a first-person narrative, it’s the story of a US Army Chaplain’s assistant during WWII—Billy Pilgrim.
 
Billy Pilgrim is constantly dealing with death. Obviously, it’s a way of life during wartime.
And every time somebody dies, Billy Pilgrim says, “And so it goes…”
 
Vonnegut moves through the scenes with it. It’s a refrain. It’s an all-purpose transition. Out with the old, in with the new. It’s about death and then here’s what’s next…
 
And so it goes…
 
So, this is Lent. It’s the season of reflection, self-inventory, fasting, prayer, doing penance, almsgiving, and self-denial. Repentance. Renewal. This is the time when we “give up something for Lent.”
 
People quit smoking, give up chocolate, count calories or carbs, etc. And people start a new spiritual discipline sometimes too, like daily prayer, or meditation, or study.
 
People recommit to following Jesus through the journey to the Last Supper (Maundy Thursday), to the Cross (Good Friday), and to the resurrection (Easter). The Passion. Where everything in Lent ends—Holy Week.
 
It’s a season of transition. Letting go of the old ways and adopting new life in Christ.
 
Paul talks about it in 2 Corinthians 5:17--
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
 
Everything has become new!
Everything old has passed away.
 
And so it goes…
 
We’re in this whole season of transition right now. All of us. Not just church. COVID has changed everything and just this Monday, we crossed the half-million mark for those who have died from COVID. The president said something in a White House memorial Monday night about not getting numb to the sorrow. So true!
 
We must allow ourselves to grieve. For our neighbors, friends, relatives. Everybody knows someone who has died. Pray for your—and their—family’s comfort and peace in our losses. So great. So much.
 
Grieve for the passing of our friends and relations.
Grieve too, for the passing of time and traditions.
Sure, it’s true that in Christ Jesus everything old has become new. That’s true!

But it doesn’t mean that we’re numb to the change, that life change doesn’t hurt.
 
Everything becomes new!
Everything old passes away.
That doesn’t come without pain.
 
And that’s always true.
There is no resurrection without crucifixion.
You don’t get to Easter without Good Friday.
 
That’s all part of doing the work in Lent.
You and I are doing it.
Playing and praying through the pain. 
Everything old passes away.
Everything becomes new!
All of us, together.
 
And so it goes…
 
Grace & Peace,
Scott