Tags
alive, Carl Sagan, energy, hope, Howard Thurman, test of faith, The Sophia Center for Spirituality
With all the “bad news” (inconceivable, really) of what has been revealed during this past week in our country, one would think that faith of any goodness would be hard to find…and yet…and yet: I received a text – a beautiful, colorfully crafted image of dancers—shadowy figures swirling around each other with the words, Somewhere something incredible is waiting to be known. (Carl Sagan). In the same hour I came across a quote from civil rights leader, Howard Thurman, whose theology of radical non-violence was a key influence on civil rights workers in the 20th century. Thurman’s advice was the following:
Don’t ask what the world needs; ask what makes you come alive and go do it because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
It will be a test of faith, I think, to believe in those two short quotes enough to get through this day but I need something to move me to prayer and useful work so I will summon all my energy and move into this day with hope. I invite you to join me.
For so many people I have encountered in so many places recently, life seems to be a continual walk in the dark. For Christians who are following the path of Lent, walking with Jesus ever closer to the events of what we call Holy Week, the heaviness of these days can be an opportunity even as we find our energy sapped by news of a world in deep turmoil. Another school shooting yesterday, panic in Austin, Texas over serial bomb explosions, wildly destructive coastal storms and personal tragedies or disappointments leave us wondering when and how it will all end. Will Easter bring us solace and the promise of new life?
The Sophia Center for Spirituality 