Cooler Minds, Warmer Hearts

Just Ask Archives
September 28, 2017
The Gift of Humor
October 11, 2017
Just Ask Archives
September 28, 2017
The Gift of Humor
October 11, 2017

By Sister Sharon Havelak, OSF 

Autumn is not my most favorite season, but it does have a lot going for it. Autumn conjures up bright sunny days with beautiful blue skies and cool breezes, dazzling color glowing from tree to tree, the distinctive smell of fireplaces and bonfires in the evenings, the sticky sweetness of roasted marshmallows, the crinkle of leaves underfoot. Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?

The last couple of weeks have been anything but idyllic. It’s been hot – and not just the temperature, though we’ve had plenty of that.  The last few weeks have been filled with hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires, and controversies over healthcare, immigrants and illegal aliens, dreamers, taking down confederate statues, banning refugees, whether to declare Lake Erie impaired and kneeling during the national anthem, as well as riots, acts of terrorism and the threat of nuclear war. Where did all this come from?

Obviously, we can’t control nature. But there are some things we can do to ease the stresses our planet is dealing with. The more we try to exert control over – and deny our inherent dependence – on our Earth, the more we break an intrinsic relationship created by God.

wordsThe social discontent has been simmering for a long, long time. Much of it is based on the notion of entitlement and the racism that systematizes it. As a Christian, and especially as a Franciscan, I struggle with the fact that it’s so easy for so many “good” people to dismiss others. It’s so easy to believe that God is on my side. The question we need to ask is whether I’m on God’s side. In the Scriptures, in both Old and New Testaments, it’s very clear that God stands with the poor, the lowly, the alienated.

In his encyclical, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis calls us to an integral ecology that grows out of our faith. He sees the relationship between God, Earth and each other as intrinsic – as intrinsic as the relationship of the three persons of the Trinity. Our task is to live the compassion to which Jesus calls us: to see with God’s eyes, to love with God’s heart, to act with God’s goodness.

Perhaps we all, whatever our faith tradition, need to kneel, in prayer, that cooler minds and warmer hearts might prevail.

Sister Sharon Havelak

Justice and Peace

Sister Sharon is an artist, educator and long-time peace activist, who currently oversees All Good Things, a store/gallery/gift shop featuring art by the Sisters, handmade soaps and lotions, and Fair Trade products.*

She also serves as the coordinator of the Sylvania Franciscan’s Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation efforts, and teaches art history at Lourdes University. She keeps her creative juices flowing by painting on silk scarves.
* All Good Things gallery is located in our Sylvania Franciscan Village and many of the items are sold on our website.

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Sister Mary Thill
6 years ago

WOW! Thanks for helping me make some sense of this mess we’re in.
We need to hold on to the garment of our Jewish sisters and brothers and find God again!!!
Thanks for your insights!

Sister Shannon Schrein
6 years ago

Excellent blog, Sharon and so poignant for the time. Thanks for sharing.

Ann Marie Emon
6 years ago

Great blog, Sharon and so incredibly current for us to ponder.
Thank you, Sharon.

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