Where are we at which is like the old stories? Someone asked me this week: Great quest-ion! He said, you like interpreting our times through the old stories, which one seems to apply best now?

After talking about Jeremiah’s times of rising and falling empires and demographic shifts, plagues, pestilence and wars, and shaky leadership (which is also true of our times), i settled on Noah in his ark with his family and all the animals, just towards the end of his 40 days, when he sent the bird out to see if the deluge was receding yet.

Both wisely using his time in the ark, and hopeful expectancy for the land to return and his future vineyard to get planted, which even the flood itself would nutrient, once receded.

Noah’s temptation must’ve been, of course, to jump ship prematurely. To go swim for land himself. But God sent the Dove. The Spirit knows when it’s time to leave the ark, having reproduced the animals and more intimate with family, and go party in the the new world’s vineyard. Noah was wise to trust the bird (and, by extension, God) to show him when it was time to return to land.

While in this ark of waiting for these floods to recede, help me learn from you what is most needed to know. Help me to enjoy the ark itself and just being with you, my family and friends and the animals as they reproduce!

What we do while on the ark during this particular deluge, determines the type of vineyard we will have once land returns. Let’s make sure the animals are reproducing on our arks, and that our intimacy with our family is growing richer, so when the Dove returns with that branch, we will be ready to party together again, and drink great wine. This is the time, where the bird has been sent out in hope and expectancy, and even the joy of Joy to come! It is also the great time of ark rest and sabbathing with the intimacies and tending which is on the ark. There are lanterns in the ark, it’s not dark, but in waiting for land to return.

I think this story holds keys for our moment. My friend liked the hope implied in that moment of Noah’s story. First bird is out…waiting and enjoy the ark in the meantime! Let’ Wisdom develop while in waiting. And don’t forget to feed the creatures! May this be a moment of expectant hope and even Joy for you all friends! And enjoy your ark time! It won’t last forever.

Wisdom waits well. And knows when it’s time to speak and party, and when to wait in expectant hope for land to return. Ark on friends, land will eventually return. I’ll see you at the vineyard party then!