I’ve never actually seen the beloved classic Bill Murray movie about a selfish, cynical news reporter who is forced to re-live the same day over and over until he finally figures out how to be a better person. I hear it’s very funny and thoughtful, but it sounds nightmarish: trapped in a time loop. And Lutheran theology has a pretty negative outlook on us ever becoming better on our own!
I don’t know about you, but waking up in very early 2022 feels a bit like that scenario. My big kids are coming off a week of distance learning—this time with me as their teacher, principal and cafeteria lady. Covid caseloads are rising rapidly. Hospitals are filling up with unvaccinated folks, including little kids.
It feels like a good time to hunker down for a few weeks, like Punxsutawney Phil, the “original” Groundhog Day groundhog. He’s the one who emerges from his hole on February 2nd, and legend says that if he sees his shadow, he’ll crawl back into his hole, and the rest of us are stuck with six more weeks of winter.
I don’t think we even have six more weeks of this current “omicron” wave. And we probably don’t need to hunker down as completely as we did almost two years ago now.
But it’s a good time to grab a cozy blanket and your favorite warm beverage, wear a quality mask in public, avoid others if you have upper respiratory symptoms, and check in on others to see if there’s anything they need.
Estimates on how long it took Bill Murray to become a better person and break out of his time loop range from 10 to 34 to even 80 years in the original draft screenplay. The good news in Jesus Christ is that he’s not waiting for us to become better people. He loves you, and cares for you, carries you through difficult days and promises better days ahead.
Pastor Jon
