The events of the past week and the news coverage of them, has given me an opportunity to practice praying the news.  As I watched the coverage of the bombings in Boston, I prayed with these two questions:

• God of love, what would you have me learn?
• Merciful God, how can I offer your compassion?

Here are some of the things I learned.  Violence is a part of our lives.  (A friend of mine once told me, “You have a keen sense for the obvious.)  Many people in the world experience more horrific violence more frequently than I do.  When violence strikes close to home and my attention is focused on it, it is unsettling.  I fear I could be the object of random senseless violence.  Indeed, I could be. 

I flew thousands of miles this past week and drove hundreds more.  I could have been involved in an air or traffic crash.  That’s true, too.  I didn’t let the possibility of a crash stop me from joining millions of other people on the road or in the air.  I can’t and won’t let a random act of violence stop me from attending a public event or living my life.

There were hints in the coverage that this was an act of religiously or culturally inspired violence.  Cooler voices defused the tendency to jump to this immediate conclusion.  Hopefully, we’re learning.

People responded in magnanimous ways.  First responders immediately went into action to secure the area and offer help.  Citizens offered what help they could immediately.  They offered comfort to the injured and the grieving.  Some opened their homes to strangers whose family members had been injured.

Here are some of the ways I can offer compassion.

• Remain as calm as possible. 
• Offer what help I can to those around me who are frightened and unsettled by these events.
• Practice mindfulness and look for beauty and peace in the midst of ugliness and conflict.
• Offer prayers for those who have been injured or killed or are grieving because someone close to them has been injured or killed.

Is there some activity that one time gave you pleasure, but for one reason or another you stopped doing it?  Have you ever thought, I would like to do that again?  

During this week take steps to try revive that old interest.  Just think, when you breathe new life into that interest, you have brought about resurrection.  Where else have you experienced resurrection this week?

Life is filled with little resurrections.  Look for expressions of resurrection this week.  Try to find at least one each day.  Here are some examples.

• Nature comes to life in the spring flowers or tree blossoms.
• You notice new life--the birth of a child, a pet, or a wild animal.
• You make a new friend, or connect with a long time friend, in a way that calls you to life.
• You find courage to move on after a tragedy, serious loss, or trauma.

Peace and Blessings!
Bob

Jesus’ Passion is a story of suffering.  Our Christian tradition invites us to consider suffering--Jesus’ suffering, our own suffering, the suffering of others, the suffering of the whole world--during holy week. 

Thich Nhat Hahn offers this advice:  If you recognize and accept your pain without running away from it, you will discover that although pain exists, joy also exists.

Just stay in touch with what is actually going on, and you will touch the true nature of suffering and the nature of joy.

What suffering can you touch and walk with during this week?

Peace and Blessings!

Bob

My bread may be a material matter.  Another’s bread is a spiritual matter.  --Nicholas Berdyaev

Our actions in the physical world are really a spiritual matter.  Take one day to pay attention to what you do.  At the end of the day notice how your actions have manifested your spirit.  Your actions are your spiritual practice.

The next day, act intentionally.  Do what you do with awareness that your action is an expression of your spirit.

Peace and Blessings!
Bob