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Tag: peace

Holidays and Empty Chairs

Wed, December 8, 2021 Published by

‘Tis the season to surround ourselves with friends and family and count our blessings. It is a time to take inventory and acknowledge all that is good and sweet and right. It is about celebrating presence but sometimes what this season is marked by more than anything else—is absence. Pastor John Pavlovitz writes:

“Surrounded by noise and activity and life, your eyes and your heart can’t help but drift to that quiet space that now remains unoccupied: the cruel vacancy of the empty chair. The empty chair is different for everyone, though it is equally intrusive. For some it is a place of a vigil; the persistent hope of a prodigal returning, of a severed tie to soon be repaired, of a long overdue reunion to come. It is a place of painful but patient waiting for what is unlikely, yet still possible. For some the chair is a memorial; the stark reminder of what was and no longer is, of that which never will be again. It is a household headstone where we eulogize and grieve and remember; a face we squint to see, a hand we stretch to hold, a voice we strain to hear. This may be the first time the chair has been empty for you, or you may have grown quite accustomed to the subtraction. Either way it hurts.”

Pastor John Pavlovitz

I know that hurt, as do you. My father died twenty-four years ago on November 25th so when my family gathers around the Thanksgiving table every year, we are aware of the empty chair which he filled. We feel the absence of his presence. We remember how he loved Christmastime! The holidays are supposed to be filled with celebration, joy and peace but often they have a way of magnifying loss; reminding us of our incompleteness, our lack, our mourning. The lessons that the empty chair teaches us are about living in the moment and being thankful for what we have and about growing through our struggles. Sometimes we acquire that wisdom and find that healing in our own way and in our own time and sometimes we don’t. Life is unpredictable and messy that way. In some way during the holidays, we all sit together gathered around this same incomplete table and one thing we can offer one another is our compassionate presence in the face of the terrible absence. Pavlovitz suggests that “in this season each of us learns to have fellowship with sadness, to celebrate accompanied by sorrow. This is the paradox of loving and being wounded simultaneously.” May we each make peace with the holidays and the empty chairs. And remember, if you need someone to sit with you in your sadness, you need not be alone – just call one of us (Chaplain Peggy, x16109 or Chaplain Andrew, x18481) and we’ll be there.

Wonderfully Made

Sun, August 8, 2021 Published by

There is nothing like turning to the Psalms to find eloquent, beautiful verse. Psalm 139 is one of my favorites and the line that always rises above the rest is where the Psalmist says: You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) Do you know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made? Do you know the profound worth of your soul and that there is an astounding splendor in you? Our world is populated by people of every race, status, and age, all yearning to feel worth and value. Whether an orphaned, poverty-stricken child in Africa, a prostitute in Thailand, a military officer in Russia, or an executive on Wall Street – every soul searches for true significance. Often times, however, our search leads us to all the wrong places. We try to find our worth in economic status, acceptance by peers, or a sense of special accomplishment. Inevitably we discover that net worth does not produce self-worth. Acceptance by friends does not equate to well-being within. Comparing favorably with others does not produce peace with ourselves.

St. Augustine said, “Men go abroad to wonder at the height of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars; and they pass by themselves without wondering.” Isn’t it incredible that of the 7.9 billion people in the world, not one of us is exactly like any other?! Some are tall. Some are short. Some are wide. Some are narrow. Some have thick hair. Some have thin hair. Some have light skin. Some have dark skin. Like snowflakes, all are unique and have been fearfully and wonderfully made by God. Unfortunately, there is a lot of money spent on changing what God has fearfully and wonderfully made. Even amid the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020 Americans spent 9 billion dollars on cosmetic surgery. American pop singer Lada Gaga says, “Baby, you were born this way.” Each and every one of us was born fearfully and wonderfully made. You carry within you something ineffable, something that Christianity names being made in the image of God, and which Buddhism names the potential Buddha-nature of all people and which is expressed in the Hindu greeting, Namaste–that which is divine in me honors what is divine in you. Know your profound worth and recognize the divine spark in each other.

Every Last Drop

Tue, July 20, 2021 Published by

The movement towards a better way of dying focuses on not only our physical selves (“how can we help you be more comfortable?”) but also our social selves (“what is important to you in the days, weeks, months ahead?”) our emotional selves (“who do you need to talk to? What remains unsaid?”) and our spiritual selves (“what supports you spiritually at this time?”)

State of the Campus – July 31

Fri, July 31, 2020 Published by

On Thursday, Beatitudes Campus did another mass testing of all Beatitudes Campus staff. As I have said in many letters, we feel that this is one of the most important things we can do to slow the spread of COVID-19. We will be getting the staff results starting this evening. We did receive the results of Tuesday’s retesting of residents on the third and fourth floors in the Health Care Center. There were two positive asymptomatic residents and 26 negative results. We have moved the two residents from the fourth floor to our Isolation Unit on the third floor.

Come to the Quiet

Tue, June 18, 2019 Published by

Sometimes we don’t realize how noisy our world is until we escape to a place of quiet.  The Desert Mothers and Fathers believed that silence and quiet prevents us from being suffocated by our wordy and noisy world.  They believed that there is more to silence than not speaking; it is more than the absence of sound.  It is that space we create within, that portable cell, of rest and peace that can stay with us wherever we go.  Madeleine L’Engle wrote a book called A Circle of Quiet in which she described how every so often she needed out—away from all those people she loved most in the world in order to regain a sense of proportion.  Her special place was a small brook in a green glade, a circle of quiet: “I go to the brook because I get out of being, out of the essential.  If I sit for awhile, then my impatience, crossness, frustration, are indeed annihilated, and my sense of humor returns.”

Here on the campus we searched a long time for that circle of quiet, that place to gather thoughts and create that space to help us regain perspective.  Thanks to the inspiration and persistence of some of our residents, we created such a space but it remains yet undiscovered by many.  Irene Cool has helped shepherd the creation of our Quiet Place and I share with you her invitation to visit it.

“Come to the Quiet, Bring Thoughts That You Gather.  This is our Quiet Place at the east-side front of the Life Center and across from Ms. Kimberly’s office. It is there for you and me and all others to go to be still, away and alone or with another. It is there for us to pray, say or simply listen. Our room is there for us to rejoice, to sing, to weep but mostly to just be somewhere and away…from noise, from chatter…a free place to speculate or fret.  Fragrance fills the silence and helps to call on memories and allows our imaginations of happy times and remembrances of comforting places. Soft aromas can calm, purify our souls and heal our bodies.

The fountain of running water, a gentle mantra, assures us of the power of life…a continuum. A great purifier calms our anxieties.  Candles may be seen as a focal point for silence and we can increase our focus and concentration by simple candle gazing…to be mesmerized. The Himalayan salt lamp gives off a soft pink light which brings again the peace of the room to the soul.  So all of you who live here, caregivers and others…when you will sometime want a minute to rest…come to the quiet and find your peace.”

The Healing Power of Human Solidarity

Sun, March 24, 2019 Published by

Once again, the world has witnessed another atrocity born out of hatred. The faces of the fifty victims of that murderous shooting, of people gathered together in worship and prayer in Christchurch, New Zealand appear in our newspapers and on our screens, and once again the question is asked; `how did we get here?’ Free societies are an open marketplace of ideas and convictions, however the pluralism and freedoms which we hold dear is indeed fragile. As we have seen in the live-streaming of this latest tragedy, it has become much easier to dole out division and bigotry to an eager and growing audience. Social media sites like Facebook will again come under increased criticism for what they allow to be uploaded and shared, and rightly so. However, our response in the face of such horror needs to be an enduring one, born out of desire to invert the extremism of hate into the radicalism of love. As Professor Mona Siddiqui wrote last week, “Laws can curb the excesses of human behavior, but ultimately it’s our individual moral commitment to human fellowship and friendship which changes relationships and communities.” When we resolve to live out of love rather than submit to hatred, to live as peace-builders rather than turning away from others who are different from ourselves, then we can begin to have the difficult conversations about how we got here and how we can live into the model of humanity attributed to Saint Francis; ‘where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. And where there is sadness, joy’. To love requires much more of us than to hate, and yet, even in the shadow of these days following this massacre, we are witnessing the healing power of human solidarity. May this solidarity and opposition of hatred continue to grow, and may we all commit ourselves in our own way – by prayer, words and deeds – to its flourishing.

 

Worth Fighting For

Wed, July 5, 2017 Published by

Growing up, Independence Day was one of my favorite holidays. I remember running around with my cousins in our back yard, sparklers in our hands, with our parents watching us as they conversed about whatever. Towards the end of the night we’d gaze at the dark sky as the fireworks lit up the quiet night. At the time, that’s what the holiday was for me, a time to have fun with my family. However, I didn’t understand what sacrifices had to be made for us to have those times of solace.

As the years have passed, we, as a country, have largely forgotten what the true meaning of every holiday stands for. In the case of Independence Day, we often see fireworks, barbeques, and carnivals flooding the environment. However, at its core, these services have very little to do with the holiday. Independence Day is about our individuality as a nation. This holiday is a reminder to its citizens of the freedom we sought during its founding. Thus, in celebrating this holiday we specifically remember those who fought, and continue to fight, for that peace.

The community of residents here at Beatitudes are among the many who faced such challenges and helped pave the way for my generation to be so privileged. It’s because of your passion and sacrifice that I’ve never had to worry about being drafted for war, I can go to any school I choose, I’m not segregated in any location I enter and I can sleep at night knowing I’m safe. These are such luxuries that we often take for granted. Somewhere, in another country, there’s an individual who’s in constant fear of being taken away from his family. Constant fighting is erupting outside his home and he doesn’t know how much longer they will be safe. We have it lucky here in America and we owe a great deal of that to our military forces.

I have several friends and family in the military, some have seen combat. When asked why they joined, they all give a similar answer which related to protecting something they cherished. This can be related to last week’s main article written by the late Don Fausel. He spoke of the term “ikigai” and its meaning being your sense of purpose in life. For these individuals, and I’m certain for many others, they share the same feeling. As a country, we’ve depended on our soldiers for so long to keep us safe. Likewise, they wake up every morning ready to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves, all while fighting for their own lives.

For almost a month, the 3rd floor of the Plaza South Lounge was decorated with memorabilia from almost 20 residents here on campus from their time in service. Purple Hearts, Medals of Honor and Silver Stars garnished the room as you contemplated, “what’s worth fighting for” in your own life? Once again, a huge thank you to all the veterans and current serving military forces. You do not receive enough praise and we owe a great deal to you. You fight for our freedom and keep us safe. My prayers are with you. God Bless.