Facing Sacred Moments

You say, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Revelation 3:17

"Things, when magnified, are forgeries of happiness, they are a threat to our very lives...the higher goal of spiritual living is not to amass a wealth of information, but to face sacred moments." (Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath)

I am struck by the humility brought by age and perspective. It is a nearly universal experience; most people I know would say that the more they learn, the more they realize what they don't know. The more birthdays that pass, the less reactive we need to be, because our perspective has been expanded...we realize that all change is temporary.

And, as the passage from Revelation reminds us, humility is at the heart of the good news. We are, in ways we admit and ways we don't, imperfect. In short, admitting our hands are empty is the only way to have room to receive the gifts intended for us. Recognizing the temporary nature of all our possessions and accomplishments allows us to simply "face sacred moments."

There will be many sacred moments today. May God grant us the humility, peace, and attentiveness to face them.