Speaking of Spirit

Photo credit: Public Domain As our world struggles to find balance, it seems we have lost sight of what true heroism is. We put rock and movie stars, athletes, and a wide assortment of others onto pedestals, touting them as "heroes." We have forgotten, in the incessant search for fame and fortune, what a hero truly is. Hero, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary is, "A person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities." The word originates from the Greek, heros - a demi-god, protector. Lest we forget, this is the story of true heroes ... On February 2, 1943, the USAT Dorchester was crossing the frigid waters between Newfoundland and Greenland. The Army transport was overcrowded with 900 men on their way to the US base in Greenland, when a German sub was spotted on radar. One hundred and fifty miles from shore, in the early hours of February 3, the Dorchester was torpedoed.  In less than 20 minutes, it would sink...

  Photo Credit: by Sasha Kopf under GNU license on wikimedia commons Often, we are faced with making a decision that fills us with fear.  Often, the only way to get where we need to go is to have the courage to take a leap of faith.  Often, the courage comes from a tiny spark  - like a satellite sent towards the dark unknown, which finds new universes, our tiny light suddenly is revealed as the brilliant star of hope. The following is by John O’Donohue , a poet and philosopher who is best known for his book, Anam Cara, (Gaelic for "Soul Friend"; 1997). This is a poem about finding that light. For Courage ~ John O'Donohue When the light around you lessens And your thoughts darken until Your body feels fear turn Cold as a stone inside, When you find yourself bereft Of any belief in yourself And all you unknowingly Leaned on has fallen, When one voice commands Your whole heart And it is raven dark, Steady yourself an...

Photo Credit: Colombe de Noé CC BY-SA 3.0 Modern society often turns a blind eye on anything related to Spirit, which may be why we keep this part of ourselves hidden. However, Spirit is ever present, whether society wants to see it or not.  Spirit is evident in the connections we make with each other and with the world.  We may be in different bodies, in different time zones, working at different jobs, knowing different people, but, we are all part of the same Spirit...God's Holy Spirit. Mary Anne Radmacher wrote, "Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" Courage is a gift of Spirit. When we are connected to our Spirit, we have courage, we gain wisdom and we have the ability to love. May the Spirit that unites us all, be ever-present in our lives.  May we reap the benefits of the gifts of Spirit and use them wisely to help make the world a better place...