LET'S BUILD A BETTER FUTURE by Rector Chris Girata
LET'S BUILD A BETTER FUTURE was published in the Katy Trail Weekly, "The Good Word" Column, June 5, 2020
Chris Girata is the Rector of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas, TX.
We have been through a lot in the past few months, and that stress is truly global. The novel coronavirus pandemic has put extraordinary pressure on the fabric of our common life, and the wrongful killing of George Floyd, following so many other wrongful killings, has sparked a different kind of fire that continues to spread across our country. We are staring into a future that is uncertain, so now is the time to build our future as it should be.
I wish I had all the answers to the difficult questions we face, but I do know one thing for sure: We do not have an easy path ahead of us, but the hard work will be worth the effort. When we face violence, we are called to be agents of peace. When we face hate, we are called to love. When we face despair, we are called to hope. When we face injustice, we are called to act.
We are staring into a future that is uncertain, so now is the time to build our future as it should be.
My Christian faith calls me to walk the path of love. Even if you do not call yourself Christian, I believe love should guide us. For each of us, the path of love will be different, but the path of love means we are forever committed to the healing of this world and to one another. Our world is not as it should be. Our world is broken, and we are surrounded by the brokenness. Now is the time for us to build something better.
When we face unrest and uncertainty, it might be easy to ignore the pain and the fear swirling around us, but I implore you not to turn away. Each one of us has been given gifts and strengths to be used for the good of the world. I believe our gifts are God-given and our purpose is to seek the good of every person.
Every person is a child of God and every person is our neighbor. When our neighbors hurt, we hurt, and when we choose to act as healers, we do not act alone. Actions speak louder than words, and right now we need courageous actors to help heal us in real, lasting, just ways.
When love is our guide, we are able to achieve great things
We will make mistakes and our actions will be messy but being in community takes a great deal of work and every person — every single person — is worth the mess. When love is our guide, we are able to achieve great things. Have messy conversations with family and friends because of love. Ask difficult questions of those who are different than you because of love. Forgive mistakes made by other imperfect people because of love. We are all in this together, and together, we can make a difference.
Each new day brings us opportunities to witness to the incredible power of love. May we find the courage to love fiercely, even when we are scared, for I know that in the end, love wins.
And I’m grateful to have holy friends to walk with me.
"The Good Word" Column is published bi-weekly, and can be picked up at the Saint Michael South Entrance.
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