Tuesday, June 1, 2022
The Last Word…LOVE
Jan Smith
As the end of our Easter season approaches, so many inspiring reflections fill my heart. Given the darkness that has been a part of our days recently, I find myself going back to reread the thoughts of others that have given me strength and focus and have helped me to have faith that God is always at work even in the most difficult of situations. As we learned on that Easter morning, evil realities never have the last word. I was reminded by a young priest eulogizing her father at a memorial service this week that "hope is real and love always has the last word".
As I work to make sense of the world around us, I am grateful for the light that I see in so many of God's beloved children. The picture included was taken several weeks ago after the last performance of our granddaughter, Emily's, high school musical, Bye Bye Birdie. She and her fellow thespians performed before an audience for the first time in two years. I did not have to look far to see the light in the eyes of those young people. Many of them, including Emily, will graduate this weekend after what has been a truly unimaginable high school experience. I know that there have been many lessons learned by our graduates throughout the country and around the world. They are about to begin a new chapter in their lives and I pray that the light I saw in those eyes a few weeks ago will guide their way. I pray that they will see light in others and that they will embrace hope and love and be strengthened by faith.
During this Easter Season, I have taken comfort in remembering that love was stronger than death on that first Easter morning. I pray as we move forward that through the darkness we will see the light and feel the power of hope and faith and love.
I leave you with a favorite poem from my Reading Between The Lines collection.
Mysteries, Yes
by Mary Oliver
Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous
to be understood.
How grass can be nourishing in the
mouths of the lambs.
How rivers and stones are forever
in allegiance with gravity
while we ourselves dream of rising.
How two hands touch and the bonds will
never be broken.
How people come, from delight or the
scars of damage,
to the comfort of a poem.
Let me keep my distance, always, from those
who think they have the answers.
Let me keep company always with those who say
“Look!” and laugh in astonishment,
and bow their heads.