A quarter of the earth’s people now live in a conflict zone per a recent article in Foreign Affairs. I can only take in so much of it – graphic photos of destruction and death, tribalistic hatred on full display in never ending media cycles. Can we not do better?
“We…are more easily stimulated by emotional expression than by reasoned complex analysis,” writes Richard Gingras on Medium. “We prefer that our biases be confirmed…we have no innate sense of reasoning. We are first and foremost, tribal beings.”
Strength to the brave souls who are trying to work toward peaceful solutions to conflict…and to those caring for the wounded! Meanwhile we fortunate enough not to live in a conflict zone deal with our own challenges. For me? A recent diagnosis of uterine serous cancer. Though a total hysterectomy and pathology investigations imply no spread at present, it’s an aggressive cancer that can recur.
The proverbial sword of Damocles hangs thus over my head. I’ve been roundly supported by sustaining prayers of friends and family—very specific prayers that the cancer would not spread. God sometimes intervenes supernaturally in our lives (I wrote my personal experience in “Of Saint and Miracles,” posted here October 30, 2015). More often, God gives us grace to cope with whatever comes our way, and for that I am filled with gratitude. I choose to embrace each new day with joy!
Given the amount of suffering in the world, I think more and more—with longing—of the Revelation to John (chapter 22): “Then he showed me the river of the water of life…flowing from the throne of God…on either side of the river the tree of life…and the leaves…were for the healing of the nations.”
Writing outside my rented home in beautiful Baja California; photo by son Owen who has helped me through challenges of recent months.
