The Green Leaves Of Summer

A time to be reaping, a time to be sowing,
The green leaves of summer are calling me home.
It was good to be young then in the season of plenty
When the catfish were jumping as high as the sky.

Written for the old John Wayne 1960 film ‘The Alamo’ this old song is a nostalgic reminiscence, reflections on an idyllic youth.

It takes us back to Ecclesiastes 3: ‘There’s a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die…’  Reaping, sowing, planting, ploughing…

I’ve heard a number of tough personal stories over this past week… drink and drugs, neglected children, bankruptcy, attempted suicide, accelerating dementia, palliative care, bereavement.… Sometimes it’s difficult to make sense of it all.  

A time just for planting, a time just for ploughing,
A time to be courting a girl of your own.
T’was so good to be young then, to be close to the earth
And to stand by your wife, at the moment of birth.

Musing… my own nostalgic reminiscence… Memories of youth, teacher training, marriage, children, career, retirement, snapshots of good times. It’s a good story. There are sad times and difficult times Everything is put in context. It starts to make sense…

Musing… scriptures that have shaped my life… my simple faith of childhood… the more mature faith of adulthood… the evolving questioning faith of older age.

On Tuesday night a group of us talked about life as a pilgrimage: ‘Which is more important – the journey or destination?’ Ecclesiastes talks about the journey… I’m still enjoying the journey… I don’t anticipate it ending soon… Considering the destination is OK… calling me home.

A time to be reaping, a time to be sowing,
A time just for living, a place for to die.
T’was so good to be young then, to be close to the earth;
Now the green leaves of Summer are calling me home.