It Gets Better: Finding Hope in Sacred Resilience
Isaiah 61: 1 – 4
When Everything Feels Too Broken
The prophet internalizes the pain. After a generation in exile, the Israelites return to Jerusalem. It’s a city of ruins. You can hear the whispers. It’s too broken. Perhaps we should return to Babylon.
The prophet’s job is to discern the will of God. And he proclaims that it’s going to get better. Not only will we rebuild our city, but we will make it better. We will build the beloved community of fairness, compassion, and justice. Generational poverty will no longer “be a thing.” The year of the Lord’s favor will break through.
Jesus and the Promise of Restoration
This passage was one of Jesus’ favorites. He quoted it in his inaugural sermon. He skipped over the part about vengeance. He wasn’t about that, but he was and is about the promise to work to make things better. It’s what he does.
There are times when we look at our lives and we see devastation and ruin. Perhaps it’s a divorce or a death, or a sense of traditions and norms that have been destroyed, and this passage gives us hope that it will get better. Underline these verses. Make them essential to your life. Embrace the promises. It will not always be like this. It gets better.
The Sacred Tree That Teaches Resurrection
I think a good symbol for this sentiment is the Banyan tree in Lahaina, Maui, that was severely damaged in the fire two years ago. Banyan trees are these cool shade trees that drop roots from branches that become like trunks. The largest banyan tree covers nearly 3 acres.
The Lahaina tree was planted in 1873 as a gift from India to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first Protestant mission to Hawaii, is a well-known gathering spot for weddings, anniversaries, and family gatherings—sacred moments. You can always find plenty of shade from the scorching sun under a banyan tree’s protection. Maybe that is why Banyan trees are considered sacred in several religions. It’s said that after enlightenment, the Buddha hung out near a banyan tree.
When people heard about the fire, they immediately thought about that tree. At first, they feared it was lost. Then they declared it was in a “tree coma,” but within weeks, it showed signs of coming back to life. Now, with some TLC from people who know what they are doing, the tree is surging back to life, dropping new roots down from the branches. It’s incredible how resilient it is. Baked into its DNA, it knows how to heal.
The Resilience That Lives Within You
And so do you. That resilience pulses within you, too, at a cellular level.
Whatever you’re facing, you can face it.
Whatever you’re enduring, you can endure it.
Whatever you’re healing from, you can heal from it.
And it’s okay to ask for assistance from folks who know what they are talking about. But you are meant for flourishing, not withering. It gets better.
The Harder Truth About Recovery
There are many stories about the Banyan tree’s recovery, but not as many about the people who lost their homes in Lahaina. The tree is healing faster than the community. As of March, only six homes have been rebuilt out of 2,000. Most of those were modest homes for people with limited financial means. So, progress moves slowly for many who are displaced and making do.
The permitting process is slow, and they are working to build better infrastructure. They also have to decide how much they want to preserve their traditional homes versus welcoming luxury resort companies.
The Spirit That Sustains Us
But what they have going for them is the Aloha Spirit. We recognize Aloha as meaning hello and goodbye, but it is deeper than that. It’s about acknowledging a spiritual connection and offering a joyous blessing: I see you. I honor you. May it be well with you, and between us.
Hawaiian spiritual teacher Pilahi Paki taught that Aloha means “the joyful sharing of life energy in the present moment.” That’s precisely what Isaiah promises in our lesson today: life energy shared, present moment blessed, joy restored.
And so, we wish Aloha to our friends still on the long road to recovery.
A Prayer for All Who Need Healing
It’s a prayer we offer for the people of Gaza and Ukraine. It’s a prayer we offer for our friends in Alta Dena and Pacific Palisades. It’s not just prayer. The mission work of our denomination continues to help people affected.
It’s a prayer we offer for anyone in this sanctuary carrying grief, illness, and emotional hurt.
There are people who care, who want to help. You don’t have to go through it alone. You have a church filled with the Aloha Spirit. It’s not just about the Aloha shirts we wear today, but about the spirit we carry in our hearts.
Aloha.
The Promise That Sustains
Perhaps you resonate with the Israelites making their way back after 50 years in exile. Perhaps your foundations have been rocked or you aren’t sure about how to move ahead into the next season of life.
The key is to embrace the promises of the God who promises, it gets better. Embrace the God who gives “… a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.”
The prophet proclaims those who nurture this hope, “Will stand as oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.”
And if not oaks. Banyan trees. Definitely Banyan trees.
Remember those whispers in Jerusalem—”It’s too broken”? The Banyan tree whispers back: “Watch me grow!”
Aloha. Amen.