In this Sunday’s gospel parable, I have to hand it to the seemingly powerless widow for being so persistent in her cries for justice before a powerful authority who seemingly couldn’t care less.* What propels her day in and day out to make her case before a judge “who neither feared God nor had respect for people”? Her cause must have appeared futile; the unpredictability of the judge must have provoked fear. What keeps her going?
What keeps me going? What heartens me to do the hard thing, whether it is advocating for justice, facing into a difficult situation, attending to the necessary but unwanted work at hand, tending or mending a relationship, being honest and humble about my limitations or faults, choosing to forgive, prioritizing the good of the whole over individual gain, staying the course, or letting go?
I can’t say I have boundless confidence, knowhow, resolve, courage, energy, or faith. Far from it. However, I do tenaciously trust in God’s abiding presence, love, and faithfulness. God is blessedly consistent in never giving up on us. I read about it in Scripture, especially the life of Jesus, and reflect on it. I look and listen and bow to it in everyday life and creation. I seek out spiritual teachers, companions, and community who exemplify it. I surrender to it in prayer.
A constancy of divine mercy, healing, joy, and peace appears to undergird life and flows freely through me when I open to it and allow it. How can I receive such bountiful grace and not spend my life trying to be faithful to God’s vision of wellbeing for all? I pray that I don’t lose heart, that you do not lose heart, and if we waver, we lean into fervent prayer and each other.
-- Trish Stefanik, Overlook Retreat House at Dayspring
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Sometimes a song is a prayer, like this one: You Can Do This Hard Thing by Carrie Newcomer.
