From Our Spiritual Advisor:
“I love you, Lord, my Rock, my strength, my fortress.” Psalm 18
“The Lord showed me the river and bid me step in.” - Rev. 22:1
"There is a time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones together.” Eccl 3:5
Dear Friends and Journeyers,
There is a park nearby where I like to go when I need wisdom, perspective and peace. Its walking path is along the Sandusky River. Due to the recent drought, the water level was very low when I went there recently and rocks were visible in the dried up parts of the riverbed. I thought of a song by Peter Mayer. I’m including the lyrics below, but if you want to listen to it, here is the link: https://www.letras.com.br/peter-mayer/god-is-a-river
In the “river of life” we do, at times get overwhelmed by the chaos which surrounds us, in our personal lives or the lives of those we know and love, and surely in this tumultuous world, so we do seek out some solid ground on which to anchor ourselves. Our faith is probably one of the largest rocks, but sometimes we also cling to other rocks: “the kind of world in which I grew up,” “the culture and traditions with which I am familiar,” “the code of conduct, ethics and morality which I was taught,” “the warnings and fears instilled in me by well-intentioned people,” “my personal opinions and preferences,” etc.
So how do I respond when a 26-year old grandson who has always been thoughtful, prudent and sincere wants to transgender? What fears and instincts are triggered in me when a few Haitian, Iraqi, or Central American families begin to live in my neighborhood? Doesn’t America belong predominantly or exclusively to the descendants of white Europeans? Weren’t we better off in former decades when women weren’t allowed to be educated and couldn’t be trusted to make wise choices? Notice the rocks we cling to.
The challenge is to discern which rocks are necessary to cling to and which ones God is bidding us to let go of. While we have a solid and dependable basis of Church teaching that points out time-tested truth, the Church also says that these teachings need to be interpreted in and for each generation because our faith is a living faith, responding to the needs of the times. So then the question becomes, how do we discern?
Here I believe Pope Francis is leading the way by calling for a Listening Church, a Synodal Church. If we sincerely, openly, and humbly listen to the hopes, desires, and sufferings of people, we will find a way forward. We will discover God’s Truth. We cannot live into the future by facing the past; by clinging tightly to the ways we’ve grown familiar and comfortable with. It’s scarier to step into the unknown, into the River, but I think it may be where God is calling us at this time. Let’s pray for the Synod on Synodality this month in Rome, and let’s also pray for the discipline of genuine, heartfelt, sincere listening on our part. “God is the river, swimmer, so let go.”
Love,
Sr. Edna
God Is A River - Peter Mayer
n the ever-shifting water of the river of this life
I was swimming, seeking comfort; I was wrestling waves to find
A boulder I could cling to, a stone to hold me fast
Where I might let the fretful water of this river ‘round me pass
And so I found an anchor, a blessed resting place
A trusty rock I called my savior, for there I would be safe
From the river and its dangers, and I proclaimed my rock divine
And I prayed to it “protect me” and the rock replied
God is a river, not just a stone
God is a wild, raging rapids
And a slow, meandering flow
God is a deep and narrow passage
And a peaceful, sandy shoal
God is the river, swimmer
So let go
Still I clung to my rock tightly with conviction in my arms
Never looking at the stream to keep my mind from thoughts of harm
But the river kept on coming, kept on tugging at my legs
Till at last my fingers faltered, and I was swept away
So I’m going with the flow now, these relentless twists and bends
Acclimating to the motion, and a sense of being led
And this river’s like my body now, it carries me along
Through the ever-changing scenes and by the rocks that sing this song
God is a river, not just a stone
God is a wild, raging rapids
And a slow, meandering flow
God is a deep and narrow passage
And a peaceful, sandy shoal
God is the river, swimmer
So let go
God is the river, swimmer
So let go
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