The words of Ecclesiastes (and the 1965 song by the Byrds) remind us, “To everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season…and a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Life is rich, fragile, complex, limited, heartbreaking and beautiful, and all the seasons and situations of our lives do keep turning. We need a faith that fits the realities of the ever-turning world and human existence. We don’t need a God who gives us the grace our repentance earns, but who freely gives us the grace we need to repent in the first place and turn back to God. We need Jesus, who entered into the holy mess of human life to redirect it into God’s reign of love, justice, mercy and peace.
This God is the one to whom people have turned (and turned, and turned) in every generation, the one to whom we can always humbly and boldly repent and return. This God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:13).
This message is excerpted from the Bible study “Turn, turn, turn: A time for faithful repentance” by Meghan Johnston Aelabouni in the November 2018 Gather magazine.
Copyright © 2025 Women of the ELCA. Inquiries for permission to reproduce should be directed to [email protected]. If you enjoy this resource, Donate Now.