From the SSJE Brothers of Cambridge, Massachussetts
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Dear Friends in Christ,
It is very possible that you are feeling exhausted and discouraged in the midst of the many crises we are facing now; especially here in the United States. The deadly Covid-19 virus continues to claim thousands of lives, with failed businesses, massive unemployment and school closings following in its wake. Unrest continues in our cities in response to ongoing attacks on people of color. Our deeply ingrained racism is being exposed again and again in every sphere of life: in education, health care, housing, employment, fair treatment under the law, access to food... Wild fires in California and hurricanes in Louisiana remind us of the high cost of environmental destruction and global warming, which we have failed to adequately address. Partisan politics has paralyzed our government and put the upcoming election at risk.
How can we respond creatively and courageously to such immense challenges? When we’re exhausted from the battle, how do we resist the temptation to simply give up and stop caring? What do we, as people of faith, have to offer our neighbors and colleagues in such demanding times? We are called to be people of hope, whose trust in God gives them the resilience to pick themselves up when they’ve fallen or been pushed down, and to continue to answer the call. We must be like sturdy trees, able to stand their ground in the face of violent winds because their roots reach deep into the soil from which comes their food and their strength.
We can find courage to fight on in the examples of those who have gone before us. I’ve been reflecting recently on the words and wisdom of Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983), a Dutch Christian woman who, with her father and sister, helped Jews escape the Nazis during World War II by hiding them in their home. The three were arrested and sent to the Nazi concentration camp at Ravensbrück ,where Corrie’s father and sister subsequently died. Corrie survived the terrible ordeal and went on to author The Hiding Place, which recounts the story of her family’s efforts and how she found hope in God while she was imprisoned at the concentration camp. Countless Christians have been inspired by her story. I recall some of her memorable quotes: “There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still;” “Now I know in my experience that Jesus’ light is stronger than the biggest darkness;” “Love is larger than the walls that shut it in;” and this one, which has spoken to me recently, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
These are uncertain times, surely, and none of us knows – or can ever know – what the future will bring: not only in our lives but in the lives of our children and grandchildren, our country and our world. We face so many challenges, so many unknowns, and there is so much at stake. But we are not the first human beings to face daunting challenges, nor will we be the last. We fight on – for justice, for peace, for the welfare of all people, for the health and safety of all creation – working as if all depended upon us (which it does), while praying as urgently and persistently as if all depended upon God (which it does).
May God bless and keep you in these troubled times, and nourish and strengthen you for the fight.
 Blessings,
Br David Vryhof, SSJE |
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