Saturday I sold six interlocking file drawers. I had used them for over thirty years and although I thought they were nearly empty, there sure was a lot of stuff left. Some items I just glanced at and boxed up for a later day. Some items went easily to the trash. But many items needed shredding.
I figured this would be no big deal but much to my surprise even old tax files can become vessels of lingering memory. As I lifted a receipt from a doctor I remembered fretting over a child’s long forgotten illness. A bill from a college brought back the empty nest. A copy of an insurance check trembled in my hand, money for a life.
For the last three weeks in worship, I have focused my attention on Fresh Starts. We have looked back to the stories of our Biblical ancestors and we have remembered our own faith stories. But in the midst of our remembering, we have also confronted our need to let go of some of our cherished “stuff”.
And here is the best part, our God has an enormous shredder! And better yet, God never tires of shredding the trash that is preventing us from moving, unburdened, into the future. We call this shredder grace. May the God of Jesus Christ enable each of us to hand over our guilt and grief for shredding each day. Amen.
