“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
We are living in uncertain and trying times right now. Things are changing everywhere by the day, and sometimes by the hour. We all have lots of feelings about the current situation we find ourselves in. We share fear and anxiety, worry and dread. Stress is mounting as finances for many are becoming more uncertain. We are distancing ourselves from others. And the world we have always known is starting to feel like a dream. We wonder when this will end and what will we look like when it does. Or will this ever end. We fear the unknown, and right now everything seems to be unknow.
As a chaplain, I would often hear things like, “Chaplain, we must be in the end of days. Look at what is going on in the world”. It seems people might be asking this more now as we watch the news and hear the latest developments from around the world. I don’t know, just like no one else knows when the Christ will return. That is something only God knows.
However, I do know when I hear people say things like this (and it is not just in the hospital) I don’t think I always see things the same as they do. Yes, we do see a lot of violence and war, abuse and neglect. Currently, disease seems to be all around us. It seems like everyone is sick with this horrible disease and if we don’t hide away in our homes we will catch it, and then who knows what will happen. Everywhere we turn there seems to be a news story about Covid-19 somewhere. The fear seems to build everyday about war on Coronavirus and what will happen if the curve is not flattened.
Yet, even with all of the bad and negative around us, there is still a lot of good. Everyday there is beauty that comes into our lives in one way or another. It may be small, like a smile from a stranger or finding a package of toilet paper. Or it may be huge like a bright rainbow after a storm. Sometimes we have to look hard for the good and the beautiful, while other times they seem to smack us in the face. These are all gifts from God and God has surrounded us with beauty not only to lift our spirits but as a reminder of hope. Hope that things are not always bad as they seem and that there is still good in the world. They are reminders that God is with us. Even when we feel upside-down, God is always right-side up, showing us the way to turn around.
In a world where we seem to rarely hear the “Little Lost Puppy Gets a New Home” stories, if we look around us, in our own backyards, we can see the love that still triumphs through the darkness. We can still see The Light of Christ shining through the world, the goodness that still exists. We can each be the Light of Christ shining for others. These little beauties we find are blessings from our God has given us. They are shalom from above to remind us that things are not as bad as they seem. Each one renews joy to us if we let it and share it with others. Love and beauty are a gift given to each of us and as long as we can see that, we can help it to grow.
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