NOTE: This post is dedicated to John Cox. I am honored to have called him a friend and colleague. He did an amazing amount of good.
A woman walked into the NAMI Montana office yesterday looking for legal help. We don't provide legal services, but we do refer people to other entities that might be able help. Unfortunately, I realized after a few minutes of talking to the woman that she would never get the justice she sought.
She was disabled and couldn't afford an attorney. She'd already talked with the federally-supported legal services and her case was outside the case the scope of their work. The case was too complex and causation too difficult to prove for it to appeal to attorneys working pro bono or on a contingency basis.
All I could do was try to be supportive and as helpful as possible. The woman was born into a family torn by serious mental illness. She'd grown up in trauma. A major accident permanently crippled her and left her addicted to painkillers. The story continued. All I could do for her is listen, try to provide some kindness to relieve her pain, and leave her with a silent prayer at the elevator.
The last two and a half weeks have been difficult. While my life has been blessedly calm, the magnitude of the suffering of people that I love and care about has been tremendous. My friends, colleagues, and family have experienced a death, continued grief over another death, a suicide attempt, an incarceration, persecution by military over a hidden wound, and more.
Our extended family experienced one miracle - our newest member's kidneys became fully functional after a number of tests before and immediately after his birth said that either one or both kidneys would never work. It was an amazing prayer-filled event, but it's hard not to question why one life experiences a miracle while another is called home to their creator.
These are powerful currents of suffering and pain, buffeting all in their path. Dark waters churning and pushing against our hearts. Overwhelming our ability to help. Asking us, what are we going to do when confronted with someone's pain that is outside of our ability to fix it?
I think the the natural world provides a parallel. Oysters and mussels survive in some of the most contaminated waters in the world. They anchor themselves to something powerful and then go to work cleaning the water around them. They filter the dirt and toxins through their own body using the nutrients to sustain themselves.
The oyster does not focus on the magnitude of all the water that surrounds it. It simply serves it purpose, quietly filtering between 25 and 50 gallons of water a day. Individually, that isn't a lot; but a population of oysters can rebuild massive estuary ecosystems. The effect of the cumulative efforts of these humble little animals can be astonishing - well beyond the oyster's ability to perceive.
We need to follow the oyster's example. Anchor ourselves onto something powerful (Faith) and then humbly do as much good as we can each day by serving others. As described in the First Epistle of Peter, "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 4:8-11
We must expect not to be able to relieve all of the suffering that we encounter, but know that we can relieve some of it and set ourselves to that task.
A woman walked into the NAMI Montana office yesterday looking for legal help. We don't provide legal services, but we do refer people to other entities that might be able help. Unfortunately, I realized after a few minutes of talking to the woman that she would never get the justice she sought.
She was disabled and couldn't afford an attorney. She'd already talked with the federally-supported legal services and her case was outside the case the scope of their work. The case was too complex and causation too difficult to prove for it to appeal to attorneys working pro bono or on a contingency basis.
All I could do was try to be supportive and as helpful as possible. The woman was born into a family torn by serious mental illness. She'd grown up in trauma. A major accident permanently crippled her and left her addicted to painkillers. The story continued. All I could do for her is listen, try to provide some kindness to relieve her pain, and leave her with a silent prayer at the elevator.
The last two and a half weeks have been difficult. While my life has been blessedly calm, the magnitude of the suffering of people that I love and care about has been tremendous. My friends, colleagues, and family have experienced a death, continued grief over another death, a suicide attempt, an incarceration, persecution by military over a hidden wound, and more.
Our extended family experienced one miracle - our newest member's kidneys became fully functional after a number of tests before and immediately after his birth said that either one or both kidneys would never work. It was an amazing prayer-filled event, but it's hard not to question why one life experiences a miracle while another is called home to their creator.
These are powerful currents of suffering and pain, buffeting all in their path. Dark waters churning and pushing against our hearts. Overwhelming our ability to help. Asking us, what are we going to do when confronted with someone's pain that is outside of our ability to fix it?
I think the the natural world provides a parallel. Oysters and mussels survive in some of the most contaminated waters in the world. They anchor themselves to something powerful and then go to work cleaning the water around them. They filter the dirt and toxins through their own body using the nutrients to sustain themselves.
The oyster does not focus on the magnitude of all the water that surrounds it. It simply serves it purpose, quietly filtering between 25 and 50 gallons of water a day. Individually, that isn't a lot; but a population of oysters can rebuild massive estuary ecosystems. The effect of the cumulative efforts of these humble little animals can be astonishing - well beyond the oyster's ability to perceive.
We need to follow the oyster's example. Anchor ourselves onto something powerful (Faith) and then humbly do as much good as we can each day by serving others. As described in the First Epistle of Peter, "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 4:8-11
We must expect not to be able to relieve all of the suffering that we encounter, but know that we can relieve some of it and set ourselves to that task.
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