Arise, my love!

Walking away from her home, her family, her friends and all that she knew must have been frightening. As Ruth shouldered the bag containing all that she and Naomi owned, the impulse to run after Orpah must have been strong. All Ruth had to cling to was the God of Israel and the hope she had gleaned from Naomi that he really was the faithful Lord.

Ruth did not know just how faithful he would be, yet as she left Moab for the last time the writer of her book tantalises us at the end of the first chapter: ‘And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest’ (Ruth 1v22).

Spring is the season of the barley harvest. As the cold of March gives way to April’s promise and then May’s warmth the barley ripens in Israel. Here in the UK, we are a bit behind, a bit colder and a bit wetter. Yet living in the countryside has given me a far greater appreciation of the seasons and of the importance that seasonal life has in the Bible.

I knew Paul’s famous exhortation to Timothy off by heart long before I left the bright lights for the slower pace of rural Norfolk. It is always a thrill for a preacher to hear that ringing command:

‘I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.’ – 2 Timothy 4v1-2.

What I missed before I moved to farming country was the significance of seasons. Paul will go on to write about itching ears; clearly, he is urging Timothy to stay faithful in preaching Christ as the climate changes. But the language of seasons reinforces how hard this is. To sow frosty ground or reap after autumn rains have begun is at best hard. More likely it is foolish. We are called to foolish preaching, to sowing the good seed of Jesus’ love among the rocks and thistles as well as the good soil.

We must sow. The gospel is God’s power to save and there is nothing else that can do this work. Only the truth of Christ’s love, his incarnation, sacrifice, resurrection, ascension and reign has the Holy Spirit’s power to open blind eyes and replace flints with hearts of flesh again.

We must sow, but maybe Spring is a good season for it. This is the strange thing I have noticed. A rural church lives seasonally far more than a city church, at least in my limited experience. When we were in Manchester the seasons impacted us. Here in Norfolk they define our lives. From the little things like whether spare time is spent collecting wood from my in-laws’ barn or mowing the lawn to the big things like sharing Christ, the seasons matter.

Over the 14 years of our church, we have noticed that the opportunities for us to share the gospel with our neighbours, friends and family are there in Spring and Summer far more than in the Winter. This is partly because life is lived outside. For some reason, lots of people are happier to come on a beach trip or to a BBQ than to something in a home. To invite friends from church and from the village together is simple, and there is more space for more people. When I walk round the village people stop to chat in the sun when we only pass with a greeting in the sleet!

But is that it? There is more time, more space and more warmth. I am wondering if there is something deeper than that, though. Is it because Spring is the time for love?

The seasons are no accident. They are part of God’s creation and, like all of creation, they display his glory. The glory of God is seen most fully in the cross of Christ as the full extent of his love for us and his character as our Redeemer is revealed. The creation proclaims this great glory and the seasons are part of it. Just as Christ rises at the beginning of the harvest, the firstfruits of a massive resurrection, so the Spring is a proclamation of this abundance.

If Winter shows us death then Spring shows us the power and life inherent in the gospel. There is perhaps nowhere better to see this than in that Song of Songs. In chapter 2, the lover calls to his beloved:

‘Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
is heard in our land.
The fig tree ripens its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away.’ – Song of Solomon 2v10-13.

The lover is Solomon but he is also that greater King of whom Solomon is only a shadow. Jesus Christ calls to us to arise. Now, as we enjoy the warmth of Spring and the dawn chorus, is the time for the gospel. Now is the time for love. Now is the time when creation sings to our neighbours that they are loved by their maker. Surely this is a time for us to add the call of the gospel to their melody.

Whether you are a preacher or a farmer, a builder or a nurse, your neighbours need the gospel song, the call of glory, the invitation from the lover of our souls to find our rest in him. Now is the time for the gospel. The great son of Boaz is ready to redeem; the great son of Solomon has thrown open the doors of his banqueting house and raised a banner of love. Jesus gave us this season. Let’s preach.

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