The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must endure; the deeper our hope, the more prone we are to despair; the deeper our love, the more pain its loss will bring: these are a few of the paradoxes we must hold as human beings. If we refuse to hold them in the hopes of living without doubt, despair, and pain, we also find ourselves living without faith, hope, and love.
~ Parker J. Palmer*
Dear God ~ It seems counter-intuitive to me that the deeper my faith and hope and love becomes the crazier that life can get. But in truth, that has been my experience. Things can get all tangled up so that the dark nights can burn through the bright sunlight but then the bright sunlight can also shine through the darkness. Sometimes I've tried to hide in a quiet space away from fear, and pain, and hopelessness, and then discovered my quiet space was just empty. Guide me, my Lord, through all of my momentary and long-term trepidations. When I remember that You are always here, I’m better able to navigate the twists and the turns, the light and the dark, the highs and the lows of all that the life You have given me has to offer. amen.
*Parker J. Palmer [1939 - ] is an educator, activist, poet, and prolific
author on issues in education, community, social change, and spirituality.
A member of the Religious Society of Friends, he has said that doubt is
not the opposite of faith, but it is fear; we are afraid to be disillusioned.
He also says that "before you can have a spiritual life, you must
have a life." It is in a blending of our active and contemplative
life that our sense of spirituality finds a balance. The recipient of
many distinguished awards, Dr. Palmer lives with his wife in Madison,
Wisconsin.
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