The Pope’s Thanksgiving Thoughts
"To come out of this pandemic better than we went in, we must let ourselves be touched by others’ pain."
Pope Francis published an inspiring op-ed in the New York Times this morning.
He described his time in the ICU in 1957, when he was nearly killed by influenza. A series of kind nurses doubled his doses of antibiotics and pain meds, saving his life and much pain.
He says health workers are the antibodies to the virus of indifference. They remind us that our lives are a gift and we grow by giving of ourselves, not preserving ourselves but losing ourselves in service.”
If we are to come out of this crisis less selfish than when we went in, we have to let ourselves be touched by others’ pain.
There’s a line in Friedrich Hölderlin’s “Hyperion” that speaks to me, about how the danger that threatens in a crisis is never total; there’s always a way out: “Where the danger is, also grows the saving power.” That’s the genius in the human story: There’s always a way to escape destruction. Where humankind has to act is precisely there, in the threat itself; that’s where the door opens.
"The pandemic has reminded us that no one is saved alone. What ties us to one another is what we commonly call solidarity. Solidarity is more than acts of generosity, important as they are; it is the call to embrace the reality that we are bound by bonds of reciprocity. On this solid foundation we can build a better, different, human future."
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Publishes NYT Op-Ed, too
And it’s almost as good as the Pope’s. She recalls breastfeeding her first child when a stabbing cramp dropped her to the ground.
As she lay in the hospital, she remembered a trip to Africa when she was breastfeeding at the end of a long and trying day. ““Thank you for asking,” I said. “Not many people have asked if I’m OK.”
"So this Thanksgiving, as we plan for a holiday unlike any before — many of us separated from our loved ones, alone, sick, scared, divided and perhaps struggling to find something, anything, to be grateful for — let us commit to asking others, “Are you OK?” As much as we may disagree, as physically distanced as we may be, the truth is that we are more connected than ever because of all we have individually and collectively endured this year.
We are adjusting to a new normal where faces are concealed by masks, but it’s forcing us to look into one another’s eyes — sometimes filled with warmth, other times with tears. For the first time, in a long time, as human beings, we are really seeing one another.
Are we OK?
We will be."
It is gratifying that both columnists come to much the same idea. We will be OK…
…As long as we don’t eat too much and explode.
Mark
The Pope’s Thanksgiving Thoughts Read More »
