Reflection:

Life Lessons from Harvey

“The longer I live, the more I read, the more patiently I think, and the more anxiously I inquire, the less I seem to know...Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. That is enough.”

John Adams (The Letters of John and Abigail Adams)

John Adams lived from 1735 until 1826, and was our second President (1797- 1801). Adams, one of our founding fathers, felt he knew hardly anything of the world. Isn't that the way it seems today—the more we read, hear, and discover, the less certainty we have? That which we call reality is a mystery wrapped within an enigma that is layers deep and ever changing. It was when Adams was President of this brand new nation, and is even more so today. I never pick up a newspaper, or check my on-line news feed that I am not gobsmacked by things happening that seem absolutely nuts to me. But who knows what constitutes crazy, or what is right or wrong for any individual, race or nation?

Sometimes, we just have to walk away from the news, and try our best to live in a way that seems just, merciful and humble. We are all duplicitous and flawed. We are all gracious and perfect. We are basically decent and kind, and when we treat each other with respect, our days mostly go well. The more I venture out into the world, the more I learn about the heavy loads people are carrying, about the joys that buoy them and the sorrows that weigh them down. This human life is fraught and wonderful; it is filled with unexpected pain and joy. We do well to simply walk through it with our heads up, our hearts open and our hands extended.

All our hearts beat for the people of Texas today, and brace for those in Louisiana who know too well the cost of high water. We stand beside the people of all the other countries of the world who have known devastation from natural disasters, and from fires, bombs and wars. We know what it looks like when people do not do justice, love mercy and walk humbly. I always pray that our moments of crisis will bring us together and unite us in one great cause—our love for humanity. We've seen that in Texas this week. Let us learn from it and carry it forward to light our future. That will be enough.

                                                          In the Spirit,

                                                              Jane