by Leisa McDonald
“The past can either be an anchor or a springboard.” These words still rumble through my mind and heart years after hearing them on a trip to Israel/Palestine. I have always loved the image of anchors. They remind me of the sea and are often part of nautical prints and beach décor, hinting at a fun day in the sun and sand. We often see anchors used in faith-based art and jewelry linked to the concept of hope.
But suddenly the utterance of that phrase made the lighthearted images of anchors I carried with me for years seem more “weighty.” The words were spoken by Myron, an American Israeli who made his aliyah (immigration to the Holy Land) over 20 years ago. He is a peacemaker and works with Palestinian friends to break down walls between their conflict-ridden people groups. One thing his work and interactions have taught him is that people can choose to stay rooted in the past or to use their past circumstances as a launching off point for a new future.
On that trip, the phrase took me to places in my own life where I was stuck in the past and struggling to move forward. It made me consider the scripture from Isaiah 43:18, “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.” I find it interesting that God often takes us out of our comfort zones to confront the anchors in our lives that keep us stuck. Seeing children excited to play on a run-down and decrepit cement playground, watching faces light up at a bucket of watered-down soup or to simply being welcomed because you’re walking where most Americans would not consider traveling was extremely humbling. It caused me to confront my anchors of bias, prejudice and selfishness head-on. It motivated me to work with refugees and marginalized communities in my own back yard; striving to befriend, encourage and support their efforts to acclimate and thrive on a daily basis. I chose to let that experience springboard me to new beginnings, new friendships and even a new role at Central.
God often provides opportunities in life to see things from a new perspective and to realign our thinking and priorities. After walking among “the other” in a conflicted part of our world and seeing marginalized people at the fringes of society, I reassessed the issues in my past to determine if I would let them be an anchor or a springboard. Through this current pandemic, I think God is again providing opportunities for us to realign our thinking and priorities. To help us consider what might be anchoring our soul to “former things” that God wants us to let go.
While we all face different scenarios during this season, we’ve been given the gift of time from our normal routines to lean in and listen to what God desires for us. As we begin to shift to new norms after our season of shutdown, God is giving us an opportunity to realign our thinking and priorities. Will we let the disappointments and fears of this season be an anchor…rooting us to grief, anxiety and bitterness? Or will we turn this unique time and experience to a springboard of creativity, deepened relationships and growth? I am excited to see what God has in store for our world if we collectively chose to use this time as a springboard instead of an anchor!