When we have the least to give...

Our world has been rocked pretty hard in the past week. Tuesday afternoon we heard of  three killed in a mall near Portland Oregon. In the midst of prayers and services, tragedy struck again in Newtown, Connecticut, as we read and heard that 20 children, 6 women, and the gunman himself died in a school shooting.

As I try to wrap my head around these tragedies, and others that occur seemingly far too often, I am reminded of something I often said to those I worked with as an educator. As each holiday would approach, I would often remind my staff, who were growing tired and looking forward to a Christmas break that “it is when we have the least to give that they need us the most”.

This week’s events seem to fit into that category for me as well. Two desperate souls, who clearly felt they had no where to turn and no one to turn to, allowed the evil that lurks within to surface and dictate their actions. How do we explain these senseless acts? Simply, we cannot. There is no rational explanation for irrational acts.

We can however, that these two desperate souls were feeling lost, alone, and feeling a level of despair that few of us ever experience. No doubt there were people in their lives who cared for them, who loved them, who valued them, and who nurtured them. Equally certain, they did not see or feel this love, care and concern.

Tomorrow marks the third Sunday of Advent. As Christmas approaches, we will get busier and the pace of life will increase. Remember to look around in the coming 10 days... for surely there are those among us who are feeling desperate, who are lost, alone and frightened. Though you may feel you have little left to give, never underestimate the power of a kind word or a thoughtful gesture. It may make a world of difference to someone teetering on the edge.

Let us make a promise to those at the mall in Oregon, at the school in Connecticut, and others who have lost their lives in senseless tragedies: Let us promise that their deaths will serve as reminders to us that we live in a hurting world, and that hurt people end up hurting people. Let us promise that we will become a little kinder, a little gentler, and a little more willing to reach out and comfort our fellow man. In this way we can honor the dead. In this way we can make a difference. A small difference. But a difference. One person, one gesture at a time.

A Time to Pause, Review and Reflect

Around much of the Christian world, Sunday, December 2 marked the beginning of Advent, a time of preparation. It seems to me that Advent provides all of us with the perfect opportunity to pause, review and reflect.

Taking the opportunity to pause is almost a survival strategy during the hectic and demanding nature of the weeks leading up to Christmas. The hustle and bustle, while enjoyable in small doses, is not a good way to live life everyday. And so we pause. We take a moment, away from the hustle and bustle to re-center ourselves, to remind ourselves that there is more to life than having the latest and greatest things. For some, a pause takes the form of prayer, for some meditation, and for some, a simple opportunity to rest and relax on the couch! Whatever form it takes for you, be sure to find the time to pause.

And once you have paused, and begin to feel centered, it is time to review. Much like a child's letter to Santa, have you been good? Have you done the right thing, the good thing, the hard thing? Or have you, like me, fallen prey to the easy thing, the expedient thing? It happens all too easily and all to frequently. Reviewing the last few days of our lives provides us with the chance to examine our behavior and measure it against what we say we believe. Is our behavior congruent with what we say we believe, or are we guilty of the age old "saying one thing and doing another". Review gives us a chance to put ourselves back on track.

And as we think of getting back on track, we need to reflect on where that track is taking us, and whether or not it continues to be the direction we want to go. Perhaps circumstance or an unexpected experience has left us with the nagging doubt that there is something wrong with the direction we are headed. Reflection provides us with the opportunity to consider where we are going, whether or not we still want to go there, and where else we might, or should go. Are we living our life in a way that is designed to get us where we want to go, helping us to become the person we wish to be?

The Advent Season....certainly a time of preparation and joy, but also a time to pause, review and reflect. Like checking a road map, we can be sure that when we get there, we will be where we want to be!