A couple days ago, I was out early in the morning, walking my dogs. I was feeling tired and frustrated; burdened by a variety of difficulties – personal, professional, national and global. Along the way, I encountered a neighbor putting out her garbage. We chatted about nothing in particular. We didn’t rage against the challenges in our lives or find solutions to the struggles in our world. We just talked about trivial things. And that was enough: Making eye contact, sharing smiles, and laughing together. Wishing each other well as we each headed off in our separate directions. Somehow, this little encounter lifted my spirits. It gave me some much-needed hope.
If you’ve been paying any attention at all to the news, you know that a lot is going on. War in Ukraine and elsewhere, deaths at the hands of police, hearings on the January 6th attack at the US Capital, primaries for the midterm elections, nearly weekly mass shootings, troubling decisions by the Supreme Court, and more. If you’ve been paying attention at all, you are probably feeling weary, overwhelmed, and uncertain what the future holds. Me, too.
In troubling times like these, I find comfort in what I have heard and read and experienced of God. I find comfort in knowing that God cares for all who deal with sorrow and struggle, who face injustice and violence, who are without resources and community support, who are hungry and homeless both literally and figuratively. God is with those who are on the edge or the margins in any possible way. Even if my difficulties seem mild compared with what other people face, they are still hard to manage. God’s compassion and care are for me, too.
When our communal life or our personal lives are overwhelming and frightening, following Jesus doesn’t wipe the trouble away. A Christian’s life can be just as challenging as a non-Christian’s. Yet with God, there’s a wider world of view. A notion that even when there are struggles, God is in the midst of transforming our hurting and broken world, bringing healing, bringing justice, bringing hope, bringing new life. God, who sees us all as beloved children, is at work. I can get impatient – transformation seems slow in coming and not nearly widespread enough for my tastes. But I believe God is near. I believe that hope is to be found in each other, in creation, and in the promise of transformation and new life.
If you, like me, are feeling troubled and weary I invite you to join me in crying out to God. Beg for justice, for help, for intervention. Plead for patience and hope as we work and wait for change and new solutions. Ask for guidance and wisdom on how to best support those who are most vulnerable.
Smile at your neighbor and strangers you encounter. Pray for strength and for guidance of how to take part and changing what is broken in yourself your community in our world. Breathe deeply. Look into the blue sky or out at the ocean or into the trees or nature of any kind. Try to notice God in the tiny encounters that somehow bring enough refreshment and nourishment and strength for another moment, or another hour, or another day.
Peace, dear ones.