Our friend Adri-Marie returned from vacation and today she visited with us.  She went to Australia and New Zealand and bought some beautiful pictures.  She spent a whole day walking on a real glacier – with crampons, an ice-axe and winter accessories!  Glaciers as you may know, move at a very slow pace.  But don’t mistake the tortoise pace for ineffectiveness (just visit Glacier National Park or Yosemite to see the power of these silent crawlers).

Today’s visit and watching Glacier photos got me thinking about 2005 and the kind of year we’re going to have.  I’m thinking that if we’re people who believe in eternal life, then we’ll do the best to base our actions on the metaphor of the glacier and not the distortions of the rat race.

These thoughts are not original to me.  One of my mentors introduced me to the glacier metaphor while we were hiking in Glacier National Park.  He explained to me that pastoral work is like the forming and eventual moving of a glacier.  Slowly but surely.  I hope for such a year, and life – all in the shadow of eternal life.

Shalom.