I first learned about Jubilee on an anniversary trip to the Alabama coast.
During our visit, I couldn't help but notice how many things - menu items, restaurants, streets, and storefronts included the word, "Jubilee" in their name. Digging deeper, I learned not only is this a lovely word, but it's also a rare environmental event that takes place in only two places in the world - the bays of Japan and the shores of Alabama.
Jubilee is a phenomenon that happens when conditions are just right. The weather and water circumstances paired with specific oxygen levels bring all the most sought-after fish and crustaceans to the very edges of the shore. The shallow waters are brimming with sea life, overflowing onto the shoreline. When this rare event happens, ordinary life stops as every resident heads to the coast for a once-in-a-lifetime harvest and celebration.
Shouts of "Jubilee" are passed on from neighbor to neighbor, phone lines light up and the entire town comes together to harvest, cook and celebrate. Jubilees include fantastic parties, boils, roasts, and picnics as the town feasts together. Experience has taught me that the South boasts some pretty fantastic tailgates. But in my mind, the Jubilee has to be the mother of all tailgates.
Where do you see Jubilee in your life?
The Year of Jubilee from the Old Testament was a guaranteed celebration every 50 years. It's the year when all debts are forgiven, captives are set free, and lands are returned to their rightful owners. The year was dedicated to resting, for the people and the land. It was the Biblical version of the most lavish celebration, renewal, and restoration.
Often, I think of my own life in the Alabama Jubilee style - waiting for conditions to be just right. Even though I can see the vast abundance displayed before me, I still treat the jubilee as a rare phenomenon. I wait for the exact right circumstances to celebrate, rest, forgive, and return to grace. But from the Bible, the Jubilee was certain. It was guaranteed and always on its way, no matter if the circumstances were right or not.
I imagine God wants us to find a little bit of Jubilee every day. Maybe not in the overflowing crustacean version (although that would be awesome). But maybe closer to the Biblical version of deciding grace and abundance are already here. I don't want to wait for an entire half-century to pass by before I forgive, celebrate, and feast on the life I have been given. In truth, all of us are given a bit of Jubilee each day in Christ.
Whether we deserve it or not,
because of Christ's love for us, we are given a bit of Jubilee
every day of our lives.
How interesting. Of course the first thing I thought of was the Biblical Jubilee but I had no idea there are places and people celebrating their own Jubilee. What a beautiful nudge toward recognizing and celebrating the Jubilee in our life.