In this Winter season of reflection...

Dear Evergreen,

I write this letter as our blanket of Pacific clouds and rain flow steadily past my window. And by the time you're reading it, we'll be passing through the longest nights of our year, experiencing once again the quiet beauty winter solstice brings to our corner of the Earth.

In this winter season of reflection, of gathering close, of rediscovering wonders in the night's darkness, of all things to have in mind I've been lost in thought about words of Albert Einstein that a friend shared with me over the Thanksgiving holiday (I know. It's uncanny). Perhaps its because with each solstice journey our planet makes, I find myself pondering the scientific wonder and awe of it all, of the cosmos and our place within it. And this year as we spin into Christmas and Hanukkah, my friend's shared wisdom has me contemplating our happiness and simplistic existence.

Einstein wasn't only a genius mathematician and physicist, he was a man of ethics and philosophy who gazed into the mysteries of the universe and found parallel truths about humankind in the interdependencies of stars, planets, moons, and more. He suggested that the cosmic inter-relations of planets, moons and stars might parallel our human sense of happiness because "man is here for the sake of other men -- above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, and also for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellowmen, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received." (Albert Einstein, Living Philosophies, 1931)

For Einstein the purpose of life is, in essence, to serve others. As minister, as members, as advocates of various truths, movements, and communities, this idea resonates deeply in many of us. Most recently, this fall and winter we've engaged ourselves in new "Sunday of Service" days where we as a fellowship gathered in our community center home to serve that purpose of serving others, as we laugh, listen, question, and craft...

Einstein spoke of the importance of embracing the mysterious- the unknown that stirs our curiosity and ignites our creativity, "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." As we decorate our homes with twinkling lights and observe winter's first snowfalls, we too embrace the mysterious. And in the days just ahead if we can allow our curiosity and imagination to push aside the night's darkness and ignite our sense of wonder, Christmas and Solstice and Hanukkah can allow us to be awed by the simple miracles that surround us-- the laughter of children, the gentle rhythm of falling raindrops on the roof, the warmth of regaling one another with stories old and new.

As we move through this season of Christmas, Solstice, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and more with reflection and anticipation, I feel hope that the coming year holds mysteries as it also holds possibilities we have yet to uncover.

Beloveds, I'm sending you happy holiday wishes as you make your own merry in the days to come. Whether it's a solo holiday treat, a favorite film, a spontaneous drive to see holiday lights, or a tasty meal shared with your family of choice, I'm sending gratefulness to you. Your presence at Evergreen enriches my ministry and our beloved community beyond words. May this holiday season bring you peace, solace, and a renewed sense of wonder and mystery.

With loving faith,

Rev. Joe