Fears and Tears

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us. Charles Dickens – A Tale of Two Cities

I feel peace when I cling to the City of God and not the city of the world. When I immerse myself in scripture, prayer and quiet, His word comforts me as if I am surrounded by a blanket of peace.

When I stray from this and see the newspaper headlines, the empty grocery store shelves, or the countless emails bombarding my inbox, fear and anger creep in. To remain prudent and informed in the world without giving into anxiety is what my body and soul desire; to be grateful to those who are diligently working for others, to be thankful to those from my children’s school personally reaching out, to be hopeful for online communities providing to others in need, to see people halfway around the world singing and dancing from balconies, to see light in the world.

As I face the third week of Lent, going further into the desert following the Lord, I turn to prayer and fasting, I turn to a simpler way, I turn to the peace of the City of God.

It was one of those March dates when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold; when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. Charles Dickens