If you are staring in the abyss, today

In my darkest moments of peak personal distress, I’ve sometimes been able to nurture the slightest glimmer of hope by turning my attention to others who’ve experienced unspeakable tragedy yet seem to now be living, loving & even laughing again.

And I tell myself that, even if not necessarily so, their dispositional turnabout will most likely happen to me, too, that human persons are resilient by design. And I recognize that my assessment of that probability should even be further bolstered based on my own personal history and that “this, too, shall pass!” is, therefore, no idle platitude.

And I’ve also recoiled from evidential theodicies because, to me, they seem out of touch & at grave risk of dismissing the enormity of human pain & immensity of human suffering.

And I shudder to imagine that I might ever have not been in total solidarity with, or not had the utmost compassion for, all others who are drowning in their unique abyss.

And, when I wonder if the only reason that I might be able to feel your flames, should you ever crash & burn, will be because I, too, will have been singed, or even scorched, then I find myself straining to mumble a prayer of gratitude (not untainted by reluctance, even resentment) for that baleful mode of solidarity that any past, present or future sufferings (my own crash & burns) will have imparted.

We don’t know one another’s tears, but we do know tears. We have far more in common in our living, loving & laughing, in our distress, pain & suffering, than what might otherwise differentiate us. When we awaken to our solidarity, compassion will ensue & forgiveness, too.

I believe with Ghandi that God, Himself, dare not appear to a hungry man except in the form of bread. And I experience that in the Eucharist.

I believe with Maximus & Scotus that the Incarnation was not occasioned by some felix culpa. I believe, rather, that Christ’s life, passion, death, resurrection & ascension were in the divine cards from the cosmic get-go and that we’re multipy incarnating (at first, merely signifying, but eventually, robustly exemplifying) His very presence in largely the same way.

God, Himself, dare not appear to a hurting world except in the form of the Crucified One.

It’s been Eucharistic adoration, veneration of the Cross and practice of the Presence that’s consoled me & strengthened me to serve the Totus Christus, not ever really knowing just exactly how but mostly trusting that all shall be well.

If you are staring in the abyss, today, please know that you will remain in my heart, prayers & thoughts and, without meaning to trivialize your suffering, in the least, do recognize that you have (more or less, I know) compelling reasons to trust that it can be healed & shall pass.

Then, join me in giving gratitude for all the higher powers in your life (mostly other people but also other providential synchronicities) and trust & surrender to the Highest Power, Who, alone, has the words of eternal life; to Whom else shall we go?

The only realities that are finally & gloriously abyssal are the Beauty, Goodness, Truth, Being, Freedom & Unity, i.e. the Trinity, Themselves.