This past month has had numerous occasions for tears. Very few of which have been my own, but rather others' expressions of joy and sorrow, hope and hopelessness. Take for example a young lady telling a story of how their group had donated food, clothing and toys to a family that had lost everything in our current economy: job, home, good health, and perhaps a bit of faith. The joy expressed by that family in receiving those gifts despite the despair around them was just too much for the storyteller to get through without losing her composure. She sobbed for a moment, and continued.
Today at church, an older man found it difficult to make it through a prayer when he arrived at the note from the nightly news that 500 servicemen and women had lost their lives this past year in the two ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He held no personal connection to any of them, but their loss weighed heavily on him as it does our national conscience. His voice cracked, he paused and then continued.
I admire those that can keep their composure no matter the circumstance, but the authenticity of those that struggle to maintain it also stands apart in my mind. Whether the courage to continue comes from inner strength or the twenty-third Psalm, everyone watching feels in that moment connected to the circumstances they describe.
Few can say that this is an easy time to live in our great country. Despair and desperation have started creeping their way into the headlines, whether it be stories of violence from a psychological breakdown or people arrested for stealing food for their family. While not all news today is bad, these are certainly not times of peace and prosperity in America.
Yet.