“As children, many of us learned this prayer to our Guardian Angel: ‘Angel of God, my Guardian dear,/To whom God’s love commits me here,/Ever this day be at my side,/ To light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.’”
“We are witnesses to that ending, sometimes gentle, sometimes violent, to trees and to those whom we love and admire, and to those we never knew but who affected our lives in some way, be they Supreme Court Justices or the great-grandmother who wrestled with death from COVID-19. We see the exterior strength. We mourn the weakening at the core.”
“As a teacher for many years I learned that you cannot progress the class along based upon the needs of those who are at the very head of the class, it is always necessary to make sure that those who are the furthest behind get what they need to catch up. And often the very best thing that those who are far ahead in the class can do, is stop, turn around, and offer help and assistance to those who are lagging.”
“Across this nation, the false prophet of these revivals is systematically drowning out the cries of communities gasping for air with cries to the false idol of human ego. Instead of caring for those who are in actual distress they distress themselves with the fiction that they are silenced, banned, and their civil liberties attacked.”
In the land of Israel, almost any piece of ground your footsteps steps on, also has a biblical connection. The major sites like the Church of Holy Sepulcher or the Mount of Beatitudes need no further introduction. Here we will describe 5 walks to lesser-known spots that associate with the greatest story of the bible. Reaching the location on foot brings an added value of a deeper connection with the land.
“Those who God has joined together, let no one put asunder. Our minister spoke these words regarding the ties that bond Kris and I together in matrimony. But, this experience has shown me that there are very real ties that bind us all together: in marriage, family, friendship, and community.”
“We have committed ourselves, through our baptismal covenant, to respect the dignity of all people. These are times when that seems insurmountably difficult, as the internet and the airwaves are full of cries to do the opposite. It’s easy to make the person you fear, whether it’s the victim or the police officer, into someone not worthy of compassion or care. But our God knows us and loves us, and we respond with a commitment to keep struggling with our own biases, fears, and pain to embrace respect for all of Her children.”
“The kingdom of heaven is not the marketplace. God does not assign value to the unit of labor or the output or the work product. God values the worker.”
“If our existence is simplified to the finite time spent communicating and coupling with others on our tiny rock shooting around the sun, then we are compelled to have some sort of lasting impact on our culture in order to be remembered, and thus, live on. On the other hand, our relationship with God promises an everlasting afterlife in heaven. There is no need to be remembered ‘as it were’ with the ability to reconnect with others for an eternity. Of course, this is only allowed if a person has lived well enough to pass through the pearly gates in the first place… The alternative being hell. Therefore, we all should endeavor to live well enough to reconnect in our heavenly afterlife. A coupling with the Devil is discouraged, to say the least.”
“What if 2020 has afforded us all a retreat – a time to spend time with ourselves, to identify with what we hold to be important. History will surely be both compassionate and judgmental in how many have approached this pandemic and in policies enacted and those not followed. We will all have stories of this year to pass along to others but what if, perhaps in just a small way, once we return to “normal” we miss it just a little? What if we look back and realize lost opportunity?”