A dove with an olive leaf is a familiar symbol of peace. It comes from the chapter which is our sermon text this week, Genesis 8. It was a favorite in early Christian art (as was the whole wider theme of Noah and the ark), and of course it got adapted into our own national symbolism by having the American eagle on our great seal clasping an olive branch in the talons of one foot while grasping a cluster of arrows with the other foot.
As a new year begins we contemplate how life began again on earth after the flood. After God’s punishment of evil humanity is spent and the flood waters recede, Noah and his family emerge to begin again. At the end of the chapter, God promises not to ever bring such wholesale destruction to the world again.
It’s interesting that in verse 21, God makes that promise to refrain from destroying all flesh again, despite the fact that, “the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth.” God’s gracious promise is extended despite the inevitability of human evil.
God’s grace is our only hope for a fresh start in a new year or at any time. As that line from the flood narrative shows, our inclination to evil is inescapable. It’s only by God’s mercy and grace that we may continue on, trying again to do good instead of evil.
May our new beginning this year be to make fresh and better use of the gift of grace given to us in Jesus Christ.
You may notice that Genesis 8 is not the assigned Old Testament lesson for January 6. We’re jumping out of the lectionary readings for the sermon texts for the first three months of the year in order to follow a 90-day reading plan of the greatest chapters of the Bible. We call it “Around the Word in 90-Days” and I invite you to follow the link to learn a little more and see the reading plan.
So I’m preaching on “great chapter” assigned for each week in our “Around the Word” plan. That lands us on Genesis 8 for this Sunday and then on Numbers 20 on January 13 and so on. Which means part of the new year will be some new experiences in the text chosen for each week. I’m looking forward to it.
Happy new year and God’s great blessings to you all!