Remembering Hope

“God is good,” said the rabbi, the priest and the minister.  No, not the opening line of a joke.  That’s really what they said last night.

The three spiritual leaders all said the same thing, adding, “And we give thanks.” 

And so it is.  With a prayer sung for peace by the rabbi, with an African folk song sung by the Catholic high school choir, and with a story from the retired Presbyterian minister, the shared energy was about being grateful to be spiritual beings having a human experience, where there is a Divine presence always with us…and to be grateful for that.

There are awful things in life.  There are many people suffering, many beings suffering.  Did you know that right now, there are bombs going off in the Middle East and dolphins are being shot in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of North America? People in the NE part of the US are still trying to get their lives together after the devastation of superstorm Sandy.  No one is denying there is suffering. 

So, let us be grateful, very grateful.  If you are reading this, you are one of the lucky ones.  You are one of the ones with abundance. 

The offering last night was taken up on behalf of the local homeless shelter [I’m visiting in the San Fernando Valley].  The director said that there are 60,000 homeless people in the Los Angeles area, that it’s the “homeless capital of America.”  There are people experiencing homelessness in every city in America, though, and we love those people.  We who are capable of love without separation or judgment, who see ourselves in the eyes of everyone around us, know that we are connected. 

Please, in gratitude for our connectedness, if you can, share with those who have less, those who will see the love in your eyes and remember hope. 

Blessings to all, Rebecca