March 06, 2022

Surrounded by Abundance

I’ve read that the universe has a way of leading you to resources when you’re most in the need of them. I don’t always find it easy to accept this teaching, but the resources inspiring me to write today are an example that brings truth to this belief.

It is evident from the outpouring of support for the people of Ukraine that I am not alone in experiencing the shock and despondency of witnessing the Russian invasion and senseless killing that results from this unprovoked attack. The media coverage of the destruction taking place and its impact on those living through this nightmare is hard to escape.

My friends and I have had conversations about what it must feel like to leave your home for the last time and travel to another country in order to escape the bombing and killing taking place. I think of the animals that are left behind, and of family members separated by geography who may have lost the ability to be in touch with one another. I don’t know how I would get through such an ordeal; how helpless one must feel to have these uncalled acts of terror disrupt you and your family’s lives. For those of us witnessing all of this, we struggle to find the resources to pay attention to what is happening without succumbing to bouts of depression and extended feelings of anxiety.

During the Pandemic I recall reading an article that offered strategies supporting self-care while simultaneously feeling the pain of others. One strategy as I recall was to take the time to appreciate my good fortune and to express gratitude for the gifts in my life. I do find this practice easy to access and helpful. Witnessing what is happening in Ukraine is a powerful example of the dangers of autocrats and their tendencies to believe that they can just impose their wishes on others. The destructiveness of this invasion tells me I need more powerful reasons for resisting letting such acts derail my spirit.

I am grateful that a friend of mine sent me a copy of the following poem written by Howard Thurman. The poem, Life Goes On, is part of the collection of his poetry contained in his book, Meditations of the Heart.

By

Howard Thurman

During these turbulent times we must remind ourselves repeatedly that life goes on.This we are apt to forget.

The wisdom of life transcends our wisdoms;

the purpose of life outlasts our purposes;

the process of life cushions our processes.

The mass attack of disillusion and despair,

distilled out of the collapse of hope,

has so invaded our thoughts that what we know to be true and valid seems unreal and ephemeral.

There seems to be little energy left for aught but futility.

This is the great deception.

By it whole peoples have gone down to oblivion 

without the will to affirm the great and permanent strength of the clean and the commonplace.

Let us not be deceived.

It is just as important as ever to attend to the little graces

by which the dignity of our lives is maintained and sustained.

Birds still sing;

the stars continue to cast their gentle gleam over the desolation of the battlefields,

and the heart is still inspired by the kind word and the gracious deed.

There is no need to fear evil.

There is every need to understand what it does,

how it operates in the world,

what it draws upon to sustain itself.

We must not shrink from the knowledge of the evilness of evil.

Over and over we must know that the real target of evil is not destruction of the body,

the reduction to rubble of cities;

the real target of evil is to corrupt the spirit of man 

and to give his soul the contagion of inner disintegration.

When this happens,

there is nothing left,

the very citadel of man is captured and laid waste.

Therefore the evil in the world around us must not be allowed to move from without to within.

This would be to be overcome by evil.

To drink in the beauty that is within reach,

to clothe one’s life with simple deeds of kindness,

to keep alive a sensitiveness to the movement of the spirit of God

in the quietness of the human heart and in the workings of the human mind—

this is as always the ultimate answer to the great deception.

Excerpted from Meditations of the Heart by Howard Thurman, published by Beacon Press.

I’ve underlined the words that make the case of why we can’t let evil acts block out all of the abundance of beauty and kindness that is present in the world, and specifically in our lives. To yield to the temptations to be overcome by evil acts lets these acts win. As Thurman writes, the “real target of evil is to corrupt the spirit of all of us. When our souls succumb to depression and hopelessness, there is nothing left.” 

I agree with Thurman’s assessment, and that leads me to think about how we protect ourselves from  surrendering ourselves to the weight of witnessing the destruction and hatred we’re witnessing both in Ukraine and in our own country.

I can share my approach and hope that is helpful to readers. Near the top of my list are two strategies. First, I consciously limit how much time I spend on taking in the news. I look for balance in what I take in, seeking information about what is happening but also  bearing witness to acts of kindness and heroism in the midst of such destruction.

In addition, I look for the beauty that surrounds me in simple but profound ways in my life. When walking, I stop to notice beauty and often to take pictures like the one with this Blog. I notice acts of ordinary kindness, and I take a moment to be grateful for being reminded of the goodness of others. If appropriate, I try to comment and acknowledge how moving such acts are.

Knowing how we all ask ourselves, “What can I do to help?,” there are things we can do. Donating resources to trustworthy organizations to help those in need is definitely one step. But realizing how     daily acts of kindness lift my spirits, I am reminded that I have daily occasions that offer me the chance to show kindness to others, hoping that such acts raise their spirits.

Holding onto to hope and not letting others crush our vision of a better, kinder world is our challenge for now.