It is eleven degrees right now and I just went outside to take some pictures of Hoover Reservoir. It is frozen, I think and there is a little snow on it. The wind has made designs on the surface and I marvel at the beauty that we can find even on a cold January morning.
I am aware of the privilege of living here in a warm home with a stocked pantry. There are people right now who are freezing and homeless here in Columbus. And I really have more than I need.
And outside of Columbus - in this beautiful world which God created - there are wars in Ukraine and Gaza and hostages who have been held now for months. There are people who continue to travels hundreds of miles to enter this country for refuge and create another seemingly impossible situation at the border in caring for them.
So I looked for a poem by Mary Oliver that would put into words the "Both And" that we live with - our abundance in the face of other's scarcity and our freedom while others are oppressed and our peace while too many live in conflict. I found this quote:
“What we must do, I suppose, is to hope the world keeps its balance; what we are to do, however, with our hearts waiting and watching-truly I do not know.”
To be alive is to see it all - the good and the bad, the beauty and the ugliness and not loose hope. To trust that in the midst of everything - God is here working in the margins and helping each of us to see the beauty of our lives and to do what we are called to do to help bring healing and peace.
For now, my heart is waiting and watching.
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