Make it Specific
Dear Friends:
This past week has been a tough one for listening to the news. My heart breaks as I think of those who lost their lives in the steel and smashed concrete that was once known as Champlain Towers in Southside Florida; the hundreds who have died in the extraordinary heat waves that have scorched the Pacific Northwest; and most recently, the inhabitants of Haiti who live in fear and uncertainty after the assassination of their President, Jovenel Moise. I was reminded in a letter this week from our Bishop, Susan Goff, that Haiti is the home of the largest diocese in the Episcopal Church. No matter the distance between us, none of the people suffering from these tragedies, whether man-made or nature made, feel remote to me.
And yet, what can I do? Yes, I know. I can pray. But that can be really hard when the object of my prayers feels so enormous, so beyond even articulating. One thing that has helped me in the past during times like this is to go from the general to the particular. For instance, I can think of the search and rescue workers who have worked tirelessly to recover bodies from the rubble, and consider what they might need to restore their strength and stamina – a home-cooked meal, a fresh set of clothing, some lotion for chafed hands? And then, all those who are suffering from the heat in the Pacific Northwest - perhaps a cool drink, an air-conditioned building, a good book or movie or memory to get their mind off their discomfort? And the people of Haiti who are trying to live their lives in peace and raise their children in safety – might they find comfort gathering with close friends and families in prayer, or song, or table fellowship; assurance from local leaders; or even just keeping up with familiar routines?
Another thing that has also helped me during when trouble looms large in the world around me is to live out my prayers where I am planted. This week, that has meant holding the hand of a bereaved parishioner mourning the loss of a lifelong partner. It has meant listening with compassion to a dear friend in the throes of a sad divorce. It has meant sharing tears of gratitude with my middle son who celebrated his 28th birthday this week – with thanksgiving for some of the challenging milestones he has reached this past year.
As you respond to the things of our time that break your own heart, I invite you to consider how you might move from the general to the particular; from the remote to what is planted right beneath your feet. As far as I know, that is the best way to listen and discern how God is calling you to make this world a better place for humans to be at home in. For, as we will hear in this Sunday’s reading from Psalm 85, God will speak peace to those who turn their broken hearts and listen.
In Christ,
Amelie+
