I hope that people will finally come to realize that there is only one “race” – the human race – and that we are all members of it.
Margaret Atwood.
Who Do You Say I AM?
Isn’t it interesting that puzzling questions, spiritual and otherwise, pop into our heads while relaxing on vacation? While our bodies relax our minds are set free to ‘wonder’ where they will.
On the shore of Lake Ontario, we found ourselves pondering once again whether ‘my God is your God?’ A question not easily unpacked. Is our image of God fashioned by our own experiences and coloured by our own temperaments? On a natural level, this is not so surprising, as siblings often describe their parents with unique variations. As in all relationships, our sense of God is very personal, quite different.
As humans, we do not see things clearly but only in fragments as attested to by Paul in his message to the Corinthians,
It is not surprising then, that each of us forms our own image of God.
Would you consider it farfetched if we turned from quoting scripture to the Indian folktale “The Blind Men and the Elephant”?
In this tale, images of an elephant are formed from each blind man's limited perspective of the elephant. Upon overhearing their differing viewpoints, the Rajah points out how each one has only a limited perception of what an elephant is. He emphasizes, “The elephant is a very large animal," … "Each man touched only one part. Perhaps if you put the parts together, you will see the truth.” The Rajah's advice holds wisdom for us as we ponder our image of God. It's no time to think small.
Summertime offers us an opportunity to be still and know that God is God. In the stillness we may hear
"I am who I am".
We see dimly now but trust that one day we will see face to face and know God fully as we are known.
-Sister Loretta Hagen, CSJ; Sister Magdalena Vogt, CPS; Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ
Header image: Unsplash/Sean Oulashin
Cheer Up the Lonely Day
Who knew there was a “National Cheer Up the Lonely Day”? I certainly didn’t until just recently. It originated in Detroit Michigan by quiet & kind Francis Pesek. His idea was to have such a day to remind people specifically to be kind to the lonely. One man with one idea that caught on. Now, on July 11th every year, this day is celebrated in the USA and many other countries. One might ask, why only the lonely? Well you have to start somewhere! National Cheer Up the Lonely Day encourages us to bring joy and cheer into the lives of those who are struggling with loneliness.
The Campaign to End Loneliness states “Loneliness can affect anyone. Experiences of loneliness can vary, but its effects can be profound and wide-ranging. It is considered by many to be one of the largest public health challenges we face.”
In 2022, 49.63% of adults (25.99 million people) in the UK reported feeling lonely occasionally, sometimes, often, or always [1]
Approximately 7.1% of people in Great Britain (3.83 million) experience chronic loneliness, meaning they feel lonely ‘often or always’ [2].
This has risen from 6% (3.24 million) in 2020, indicating that there has not been a return to pre-pandemic levels of loneliness [2].
Types of loneliness
Emotional loneliness – 'the absence of meaningful relationships'
Social loneliness – a 'perceived deficit in the quality of social connections'
Existential loneliness – a 'feeling of fundamental separateness from others and the wider world.'
Please be kind to someone today even if they are not lonely. Heck, I’ll go out on a limb here & suggest we be kind to everyone every day!
-Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate
Header Image: Unsplash/Ante Hamersmit
REFERENCES: [1] Campaign to End Loneliness with Dr Heather McClelland (2023) Analysis of quarterly report data provided by the ONS from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey for Jan-Dec 2022 using a representative sample of people aged 16 and over in Great Britain. Note: an average of 2,625 participants engaged with the ONS Opinions during each wave of the Lifestyle Survey over this period.
[2] Campaign to End Loneliness, The State of Loneliness 2023: ONS Data on loneliness in Britain (2023).
Weekly Pause and Ponder
With a book in hand...
"Said the river: imagine everything you can imagine, then keep on going...."
This quote by the poet Mary Oliver bookends this story which takes place in England during the years 1939 to 1962. The central date is March 1960.
In 1939 a mum sends her two daughters to the country for protection from the anticipated German bombers. The elder, Hazel (14) often cares for Flora (5). She weaves elaborate stories about an imaginary world that only the two share. One day Flora falls asleep on a blanket by the river; Hazel goes to a nearby tree to visit a friend. When she returns, Flora is gone. Despite a massive search, Flora is never found. For Hazel, how long can she hope? Now comes March, 1960...
An intriguing story with many unexpected twists and a satisfying ending.
- Jackie Potters, csj Associate
Header Image: Unsplash/Dan Dumitriu