Things Die and Things Resurrect
Even if the structures of our traditions crumble, something meaningful can emerge. This calls us to examine what we truly believe, beyond superficial attachments to institutions or ideologies. It is essential to identify what fills us with purpose and vitality, what aligns us with the deepest truths we hold. Reactionary outrage against what we oppose might feel energizing, but it does not lead to lasting transformation. Soulful change requires something deeper.
Our faith also offers us a foundational belief that life is a succession of dyings and risings. We resist this truth, clinging to illusions of constant progress. Yet, reality confronts us: things end, things rise anew, and both processes hold wisdom. But we can return to the pattern of our faith and the pattern of reality: that things die and things resurrect and both are good teachers.
It’s not true that everything’s getting better and better. When everything feels like it is falling apart, we need spaces and people to support us in our grief without letting us remain stuck. We must stop pretending we can escape this rhythm. Instead, we should embrace it as a foundation for understanding and growth.
As people of the church, we are called to be agents of transformation who witness and accompany change with the wisdom of the soul. Institutions and nations rise and fall, yet the enduring pattern of death and rebirth remains. Our task is to live within this truth, not to deny it.