Reflect
This morning I read the opening lines of a poem by Jack Gilbert: “Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere.” But the poem, “A Brief for the Defense,” gracefully moves on: “. . . we enjoy our lives because that’s what God wants. . . . We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,/but not delight.”
Pray
God of light,
I must acknowledge the toll forces of evil take in our world,
as I am reminded repeatedly by “breaking news” bulletins
popping up on my phone screen.
Today I seek the grace I need to strike a healthy balance
of predictable sorrow softened by moments of delight.
Act
Make deliberate choices today to be open to unexpected, and sometimes fleeting, delightful surprises in your life: a glimpse of fog hanging on the river, patterns of frost etched on a window, a text message of gratitude from a student or colleague.
