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Reflection from our Pastors
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart
Last summer, one of our reading groups read Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart by Brian McLaren. In the year since, it seems the chaos, cruelty, and now war, have made our reality even more concerning.
Brian’s assessment is an important one, urging us not to deny our planetary reality. Theology professor, Garret Galvin, PhD, at the Franciscan School of Theology, University of San Diego Lecture Series said something similar: don’t deny what is happening in our world. His advice was not to “continually scan our phones for news but, yes, watch the news every day. Do not say ‘I don’t want to hear this anymore. Or, I don’t want to know what is being said. But watch the news at least once every day.” Yesterday I read that there are 30* countries in ongoing conflict of interest to the U.S. Places where people are suffering chaos, food shortages, institutional instability or violence/war. These are only those countries the U.S. is interested in, so there are many more. Our country’s issues are complex and every effort to simplify our situation into a few catchy phrases does all of us an injustice. So where can we find peace?
Jesus the Christ has made it clear that there is a Peace that we may not yet understand or know, that is not of this world. We must carry on, reaching outward and inward. Our experience of an inner peace may align with our moments of suffering of the Body of Christ, and experiencing joy of the Body of Christ. Awareness is key; a higher consciousness. Ken Wilbur, philosopher, says that real salvation is liberation, liberation from the illusion of the separate self. As we grow into the experience of belonging to everyone and everything, and experience the overwhelming suffering of others, we may
move in the direction of despair both from the suffering in the chaos and cruelty of today
and from the doubt of ever experiencing this oneness in the same chaos and cruelty.
Pastor Steve Garnass-Holmes offers gratitude as an antidot to despair. May we persevere with what we know as true and good regardless of the outcome.
Before you despair
Before you despair give thanks.
For the miracle that you are here,
that your flesh has sustained you.
For all those who have loved you,
even poorly, along the way,
mostly unnoticed.
For all those who do not despair,
and the grace sustaining them.
For the people who were the words
of the Teacher written for you, and those
who were merely the blackboard.
For all the beauty in the world,
every bit—not just the sunset
but the earth, the sun, the eyes.
For your own forgiveness (it's a fact,
don't argue, write it down).
For all those little moments that showed
what you were hoping for:
the unexpected gift,
the healing of a wound,
the little wren that came close,
the child's laughter that once
broke the balloon of your sorrow.
For Emily Dickinson and the color green
and thumbnails and that whales sing,
give thanks for each one—
don't leave any out, list them all.
Perhaps your despair will forget
what it wanted to say.
But if it remembers, give thanks
for the grace to despair and carry on.
www.unfoldinglight.net
Yes, please, let’s carry on together.
Pastor Jane
*Center for Preventive Actions: Global Conflict Tracker.
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