True sadness, true hope

The bad news came in a flurry – like a series of punches from the great Muhammad Ali in his prime. A few days ago, friends texting me the not-surprising news of the Boston Marathon being canceled. Followed closely by the shockingly surprising and incredibly sad news of an Ivy League school permanently eliminating its men’s cross country and track programs. And then, a few hours and days later, the horrific scenes of civil unrest – most notably in Minneapolis but also around the country. When I go out for my solo morning walks, I have music and podcasts in my ears. Lately, my artists of choice have been the Avett Brothers. They make impossibly upbeat music – their live shows are a romp of pure happiness – despite oftentimes writing songs about incredibly complex and far-from-upbeat topics. The album I have been focusing on lately is one called “True Sadness.” If you listen to the title track without words, the tune puts a hop in your step. But the lyrics that accompany the great music are not so upbeat while also being so very relevant to today, to now, to our current reality. The song ends with these lyrics. Think about them today and in the coming days.

Just know the kingdom of God is within you
Even though the battle is bound to continue

'Cause I still wake up shaken by dreams
And I hate to say it but the way it seems
Is that no one is fine
Take the time to peel a few layers
And you will find
True sadness

But wait! Don’t just listen to the awesome Avett Brothers. Please go back to the beginning the Pandemic Papers series, which will continue this coming week, with our very first interview – Father Jacob Bertrand Janczyk. Father Jancyzk’s responses formed the groundwork for others to follow, and we are forever grateful for that. I leave you with these thoughts from the end of his interview, thoughts that filter into the silence of my head when I pause my iPod out on the solitary walks:

One of my favorite quotes is, “Dum spiro spero,” “While I breathe, I hope.” I think it’s incredibly appropriate for our lives now. God knows what tomorrow, or next week, or next month will look like, good things are to come, however unexpected they may be or however difficult to arrive at.

Amen.