One of the more frustrating things about this year has been the sense of starting over. This stopped, so we did this instead – which was like starting over, often times from scratch. But then whatever that was stopped, and so we had to start over again. For me? That was starting online only church. Now we’re gearing up to bring people back into the building, and we’re starting over. It’s not the same as what it was. Same goes for restaurants, schools, and office buildings. It isn’t like we’re going “back” to anything – instead, we’re going to something new.
Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe we expect to go “back”. But we can’t. 
Thomas Wolfe wrote a book to this point – “You Can’t Go Home Again” – about a young man who goes out into the world and finds disillusionment, but returns to find a sort of sorrowful hope. He realizes that he can’t go home again, which is probably what he wanted most and has to mourn. But in the midst of his sorrow, he recognizes that there is hope in the newness, the very newness that keeps him from going “back”. It really is a great book that you should read.
But another great book speaks the same way – the Bible, and especially the chapters of Romans that we’re reading in the lectionary these days. The Bible expresses a simple truth – we can’t go back. Not only can we not go back, but we wouldn’t even want to. Our “back”, the backstory of our lives are filled with sins and mistakes. Going back wouldn’t solve those problems. Going forward does. Starting over does.
So while it may be frustrating or sorrowful to start over again, it’s going in the right direction. It’s going to the direction of eternity and a loving Father who has forgiven our “back” because of what Jesus has done for us. Thank goodness we can’t go home again, instead, let us start over to our new home once more, with our Savior traveling the new road with us.