Share the light and Be firm in your faith

“See the light in others and treat them as if that is all you see.”  (Wayne Dyer)

The above quote is a great one, but hard to accomplish! We all know people we admire who are full of light which radiates into our world. Their charismatic attitude cannot help but draw us to them. It helps our desire to be like them and pass along their motivation. But in my case, at least, my good intentions are there, but are often short lived, which frustrates me. I know my abilities to reach out are part of my human nature, and rather than beating myself up over my shortcomings, I do allow myself to fail. That is the hard part, but I forgive myself, and start over.

During our COVID-19 pandemic, many good friends of ours have died. The fact that we were often unable to be helpful to them or their families due to isolation, was a source of extreme sadness. I wanted to be able to share my faith beliefs with them, but eye contact and a gentle hugs don’t happen over the telephone or online or livestream. In each case I prayed for them, their families, friends, and those who grieved. My father told me that during  World War 2, when members of the Armed Forces died, the worst thing their families had to deal with was not being there to say goodbye and hold them close. This, of course, applies to all wars and conflicts. I feel this pandemic could be considered its own form of hellish combat. Not being with a loved one when they are dying prevents closure and acceptance. I decided that one positive thing I could do to honour each person was to do a random act of kindness to someone else in need. Something you might consider doing too.

Many years ago I was a member of Saint John’s Anglican Church in Port Dalhousie (St. Catharines). One Easter, during a Confirmation Service, the late Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of Niagara, Clarence Mitchell, preached an excellent sermon to the confirmands. To paraphrase, he said: “True faith is within you. It is yours to share with those who waver and are not convinced that there is a God. Give whatever you can to give them hope and courage to believe. Don’t be wish washy. Place your own faith on the line. We all know what happens if you put one foot into one rowboat, and the other into another. When the boats move you will end up in the water needing to be pulled out. Be firm in which boat you belong.  Decide where you should be and reach out to others to give them what has been given to you. Do what you can, and don’t be discouraged if they at first reject your ideas. One day they may remember that conversation and it will make a difference in their lives.” When Bishop Mitchell died in December 2019, he was remembered fondly for his honourable, quiet, gentle way, and his great sense of humour. He touched many peoples’ lives, and I was one of them.

Thanks be to God!