The Haxtun-Fleming Herald - What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope

Every generation faces its own self to a lesser or greater degree. We are living in a time of reckoning on many levels. This is one of those moments when it is helpful to be clear, to offer lucidity in the midst of chaos and hope beyond isolation. It is easy to declare the world broken. It is quite another thing to aspire beyond this place and this time, and to continue the hard work of being human in spite of ourselves.

We like to fix things. We live in a culture capable of many things and we have shown what it is to rise beyond ourselves to address anxieties once believed impossible to remedy. Amazing feats in science and technology have come about from just such mindsets. This is no passive kumbaya moment but rather a call to live beyond ourselves.

The compassions we face daily are of no small consequence. The least, the lost, the helpless and homeless are often unable to speak for themselves, particularly as shells rain down. Those are the moments when we must be a voice for others until they can once again think for themselves. It is no easy task, and it takes more than a few people to get the job done.

So where is Jesus in the mix? You’ll find him often avoiding the mainstream and in the company of sinners and reprobates. Didn’t he know better? The Kingdom of God he spoke of was no self-serving philosophical edifice, but faith built around the dignity and worth of each individual. That compassion is one of the hallmarks of Christian faith and it recognizes a commitment to ideals loftier than our own. The vision that Jesus shared was sweeping but in a one-on-one way. That’s how faith works, each of us have a role to play.

A question common to today’s events — social unrest, matters of health, political division and war — is being asked with greater frequency these days. What can be done when we are just one? Do we really make a difference? How best can we help? Do we know enough to understand what the best organizations are for providing material aid and resources? Yes, but it may require a little effort on our part. Give wisely, carefully, thoughtfully. Do your homework and encourage others to do the same. And if we occasionally have to back up in order to move forward once more, it’s okay. Let us move slow enough to go as fast as we can. The world awaits our compassions as well as those of Christ.

Live each day with grace and humor, for we are never immune to the vagaries of life as some two million refugees can attest. We are temporary but valued guests of the Divine on this small planet. How shall we be known for these moments a couple of centuries forward? Did we rise to the occasion? Did we do so with understanding and compassion? Did we learn lessons for the future and then apply them?

There are many banners to work under if we are willing to let ego slip away. How will history treat us? Hopefully it will say we rose to the occasion through faith and action.