SPOILER ALERTS FOR DOWNTON ABBEY!

I am a big Downton Abbey fan! I have seen the series more times than I can count. I'm actually watching it again right now for the umpteenth time! I love the costumes, the British accents, the social hierarchy and the relationships that challenge those hierarchies. I love that the men of this patriarchal society think they are in charge, but in reality it is the women that are guiding the ship. I love the historical accuracy and seeing the times of war and difficulty through the eyes of those who lived it. Quite honestly, it serves as a distraction for me from the divisiveness of our world today and the harsh realities of today's society that are constantly in front of us on the news and in social media. 

I have some favorite scenes. When Matthew asks Lady Mary to marry him (finally); When Lady Sybil tells Tom Branson (the chauffeur) she will run away with him; When Tom Branson moves back to Downton from America and when Lady Edith finally finds a great guy who loves her, who turns out to be the Marquess of Hexham so she ends up outranking the entire family after marrying him. But, one thing I don't like are the really sad episodes and scenes. There are two scenes in particular that are just awful - when Lady Sybil dies following giving birth and when Matthew Crawley dies in a car accident after their baby is born. (I'm so sorry if you haven't seen the series and I just spoiled it for you! LOL!)

One of the great things about streaming a series and knowing it so well, is that you can simply fast forward through the really difficult, sad moments, which I do. Wouldn't it be something if we could do that in real life? I do think we try to hit the fast forward button in our lives quite often. We try to skip through grieving painful losses. We distract ourselves with work or social media or other even less healthy things when we are hurting or worried or terrified of what might be around the corner. We turn our heads away from our neighbors who are suffering around us because, what could we possibly do to help? We even pray about injustices and broken systems but then leave it to someone else to take action. Then we fast forward our lives to the next distraction to avoid the difficult situations. 

But Jesus never avoided the difficult situations. He walked right into them and confronted oppression, pain, suffering and injustice. You see, avoidance doesn't change anything. The problems and the suffering are still there even when we walk to the other side of the road and avoid the person who has been beaten like the priest and Levite did. Jesus told us in the story of the Good Samaritan that we are called to confront the suffering around us (and in us) by taking action. We are called to accept the truth, sit in the pain with ourselves or our neighbors and then do something to show love and compassion - whether it's compassion for ourselves, our world or for those who are suffering. Fast forwarding past our pain and the suffering of others only works when we are streaming shows like Downton Abbey. 

What are you avoiding that is difficult or painful? Is it time to accept a difficult truth, face an overwhelming fear or stop ignoring suffering around you? It's not easy to sit in our own pain or the pain of others, but it's the only way we can let Jesus in, who will show us how to start the healing process that will provide us peace and bring about transformation in our world. Won't you join me in handing the remote to Jesus, watching even the difficult scenes and finding strength in Him.

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you (Psalm 55:22).

Grace and Peace,

-Pastor Madeline